With Grier announcing that the Sharks are likely done making additions this offseason, barring a trade or something coming up similar to Yaroslav Askarov last offseason, it's a good time to look at the Sharks' depth chart heading into the season. Yesterday, I looked at the Forwards. Today, I will be looking at the Defense and Goaltending.
Dimitri Orlov | Shakir Mukhamadullin |
|---|---|
Mario Ferraro | John Klingberg |
Nick Leddy | Timothy Liljegren |
Sam Dickinson | Vincent Desharnais |
Luca Cagnoni | Jack Thompson |
The Sharks' defense has seen the biggest change this offseason with the additions of Orlov, Klingberg, and Leddy. Orlov and Klingberg will likely see significant ice time this season, taking the load of Mario Ferraro, who has been forced to take on the lion's share of minutes for the Sharks the past couple of years. Shakir Mukhamadullin was a bright spot for the Sharks to end the season, and his ability to play his off-hand side should be valuable to a Sharks defense that is heavy on lefties. The potential of a pairing with fellow countryman Dimitri Orlov could also aid his development this season.
Sam Dickinson is likely to get at least nine games at the NHL level. The 19-year-old dominated the OHL last season, taking home a Memorial Cup with London, along with OHL Defenseman of the Year. While it would be ideal for Dickinson to be with the Sharks next season, as he has little to prove in the OHL and can't be assigned to the AHL, if he is not ready, the Sharks need to be careful they don't hurt his development. In his most recent press conference, Grier did express confidence that Dickinson is ready for the challenge and, in all likelihood, will be with the Sharks at least to start the year.
If Dickinson makes the Sharks, it likely means one of Leddy or Liljegren is pushed out of the lineup; if not, then they should round out the Sharks' top 6. Leddy's ability to play either side should make him valuable in various lineup combinations, or in case of injury.
While the Sharks' defense lacks an established top 4 caliber defenseman, it does have better depth than in years past. Desharnais is a decent 7/8 defenseman, and youngsters Cagnoni and Thompson have both shown promise at the NHL level. In the event of Injuries and trades, I expect the Sharks' blueline to hold up better than it did last season.
With that said, the Sharks' blueline is a major work in progress. Having Orlov be your best defenseman is not ideal with where he is at in his career. The Sharks really could use multiple of Mukhamadulin, Dickinson, and Cagnoni establishing themselves as top-4 caliber defenseman by season's end.
Alex Nedeljkovic | Yaroslav Askarov |
|---|---|
Jakub Skarek | Gabriel Carrier |
The Goaltending is the easiest to project for the Sharks. Nedeljkovic and Askarov are going to be the tandem at the NHL next season, likely splitting duty until Askarov proves capable of taking on the Starting load.
Things look murky in terms of depth with Skarek and Carrier likely competing for the 3rd goalie spot. Skarek has more experience than Carrier with 7 seasons in professional hockey, but Carrier showed promise down the stretch for the Cuda last season and could earn a larger role this year.
The Sharks also have Matt Davis signed to an AHL deal. Davis will likely spend most of the season at the ECHL level, but could do enough to earn a standard contract similar to Carrier's last season.
The Sharks' roster as a whole definitely isn't going to scream playoff contender, or even dark horse. But this season is about internal growth of the young talent, rather than propping up player value for rentals at the deadline. I expect a good chunk of their young talent to be in the lineup on a regular basis by season's end.