Preseason Preview/Lines #1: Which Sharks Should You Focus on Tonight?

The San Jose Sharks start their pre-season with split-squad games versus the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights. Which Sharks are going where?

Players expected for ANA split-squad game this Sunday: Bonino, Hertl, Karlsson, Labanc, Merkley, Vlasic, Wiesblatt

Going to Vegas: Burns, Cogliano, Couture, Dahlen, Eklund, Ferraro, Hill, Meier, Reimer, Weatherby

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 25, 2021

Which San Jose players should be closely watched tonight?

In Anaheim, prospect blueliners Ryan Merkley and Artemi Kniazev will be paired. Can 2018 first-rounder Merkley defend well enough at an NHL level to make the team out of camp? Or will 2019 second-rounder Kniazev leapfrog him on the depth chart?

How about 34-year-old Marc-Edouard Vlasic? The once world-class rearguard changed his training approach this summer — can that make a difference in his quest to return to relevancy?

It’ll also be interesting to see if third-year Noah Gregor can start to show the consistency necessary to carve out a middle-six role on the San Jose Sharks. San Jose, obviously, needs all the scoring help it can get.

In Vegas, Jonathan Dahlen gets his a look next to Logan Couture and Timo Meier. Like Gregor, the San Jose Sharks are hoping the young winger can add some scoring punch. How will Dahlen look in his first game in North America since 2019?

Jasper Weatherby should skate between Andrew Cogliano and Matt Nieto. It’ll be his first NHL-like action, can he supplant incumbent Dylan Gambrell as 4C on the San Jose Sharks?

Finally, 2021 first-rounder William Eklund will make his Sharks debut — does he have what it takes to make the big leagues as an 18-year-old?

San Jose Sharks

This is how the San Jose Sharks should line up against Anaheim:

#SJSharks lines from AM skate (for the Ducks game)

Barabanov-Hertl-Gregor
Balcers-Bonino-Labanc
Leonard-Gambrell-Blichfeld
N.Merkley-Robins-Wiesbaltt

Simek-Vlasic
Kniazev-Merkley
Middleton-Meloche

Melnichuk expected to start

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) September 26, 2021

Where’s Erik Karlsson? He was scheduled to play against the Ducks:

#SJSharks Bob Boughner said Erik Karlsson has a minor infection in his thumb and that he's being treated with antibiotics. If all goes well, Karlsson will play Tuesday vs. LA.

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) September 26, 2021

How will the Sharks line up against the Golden Knights?

#SJSharks lines (for game vs. Vegas)
Dahlen-Couture-Meier
Cogliano-Weatherby-Nieto
Eklund-Pederson-Chmelevski
Viel-Reedy-Raska

(they were mixing up the bottom two pairs, so don't hold me to this)
Ferraro-Burns
Hatakka-Laroque
Megna-Alt

Hill, Gaudreau (Reimer not out there)

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) September 26, 2021

Anaheim Ducks

This appears to be the line-up that the Ducks are trotting out:

Vegas Golden Knights

Lines rushes

Pacioretty-Stephenson-Stone
Janmark-Patrick-Dadonov
Cotter-Howden-Krebs
Baertschi-Quinney-Dugan

McNabb-Theodore
Cormier-Whitecloud
Hayes-Coghlan

Thompson
Vikman

— David Schoen 🗞🏒 (@DavidSchoenLVRJ) September 26, 2021

DeBoer says Logan Thompson will be in goal tonight and will play the entire game.

— Steve Carp (@stevecarp56) September 26, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck drop against Anaheim is 5:00 PM PT at Honda Center. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.

Puck drop against Vegas is 7:00 PM PT at T-Mobile Arena. Watch it on the NHL Network and listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.