Team: 2021-22 San Jose Sharks

Initial Creation Date: Oct. 11, 2021

Published: Oct. 11, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

My ideal opening night roster here. I think that first line is fit to compete with first lines all over the league. The second line looks pretty strong and should allow for Eklund to quickly mature into an elite or even franchise level player aided by two exceptional teammates that suit his strengths. The third line should be a pretty decent shutdown line with Barabanov also able to provide some offense into the bottom six. The fourth line isn't elite by any stretch, but should be a pretty decent group. The biggest question marks obviously come in the defense pairs. While Karlsson has shown some potential to return to form, I don't think he'll be worth his paycheck, but still valuable. Ferraro looks poised for a breakout year and I think playing with someone like Burns will greatly help him. Simek is a good player, but that second D-pair probably won't be the most spectacular. While Vlasic's offensive production has certainly fallen, he's still got some value defensively and being paired with Knyzhov might to wonders for them both.

My predictions:

At worst: 7th in the division
At best: 3rd in the division
Projected finish: 4th or 5th, missing playoffs