What Are Sharks Doing with Their Roster? 3 NHL Scouts Weigh In

“I wouldn’t say they’ve thrown in the towel, but they’re kind of winging it.”

That’s one scout’s opinion of the 2020-21 San Jose Sharks’ roster.

Is that industry consensus? In the midst of training camp, I talked to three NHL scouts from outside organizations to get their takes on the Sharks, especially the forwards.

They all agree, as Doug Wilson has repeated over the months, that the bones of the team — Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane, Timo Meier — are “good.” But…

“You gotta have more than the bones,” Scout #3 said.

So is the San Jose Sharks’ forward depth better now than last season’s? Who’s most likely to emerge to round out their top-nine — Fredrik Handemark, Matt Nieto, or Noah Gregor? What are their thoughts about the Sharks’ long-term plan?

Sheng Peng: Are San Jose’s forwards better now than they were last year?

Scout #1: They’re probably a little thin in their top-nine.

Scout #2: Their top-five is pretty set — after that, you really don’t know how it’s going to go.

I thought they were reaching with their depth a little more last year than they are this year. I think they’re in better shape this year.

But it’s about the same.

Scout #3: I don’t see them being very creative or very engaged at this point [of the off-season].