Five big questions the Sharks must answer as training camp opens

This summer, the San Jose Sharks uncovered something that had been buried for some time.

Optimism.

It now flows freely around the Sharks. Yes, the expectations for the 2024-25 season are realistic. No one believes that they'll go from an NHL -worst 19 wins and 47 points to the playoffs in a matter of months.

But there's genuine excitement after a bottoming out. That's what drafting a new franchise face in Macklin Celebrini does – a tremendous talent with some Bay Area ties who could one day lead them into a new age of contention. And there's the work general manager Mike Grier did to change the look of the Sharks, bringing in players who can make them more competitive now and solidify the future in some cases.

There is also a prospect pool that's now among the best in the NHL. All that sounds great, but the winning games still won't be easy for a club that has just started to build on its freshly laid foundation. Tough nights will still be endured. The goal is to have fewer of them. And more evenings when their efforts are rewarded with loud music playing postgame.

Before they host St. Louis on Oct. 10, the Sharks will have six preseason games to pull this reshaped group together, starting Sunday against Vegas . Here are five pressing questions they'll tackle as they go through camp.

Is Celebrini already the No. 1 center?

It certainly looks that way. Mikael Granlund had a strong comeback season as the default top-line pivot last season, but the veteran is moving over for Celebrini, the 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick. The Sharks aren't easing him into their lineup. They're already seeing if he can build chemistry with prime offseason pickup Tyler Toffoli , with William Eklund possibly joining them on the other wing.

Celebrini looks the part. He only needed one game in the recent Rookie Faceoff to show that he was already at a level above his peers with the way he used his tremendous skating to make defenders back off as he powered through the neutral zone, or the way he tracked back hard on defense to break up plays. On Day 1 of training camp, Celebrini even scored a goal in the team's scrimmage.

"He did well," Grier told reporters. "Pretty much what we expected from him. He played both ends of the rink and made some plays. ... Even though he's who he is and the first overall pick, I think even early in the scrimmage he was probably deferring to his linemates a little bit. I think the second half, he kind of settled in and playing a little bit more of his game."

Can Logan Couture move past his groin issues?

Couture is trying to give it another go after a severe case of osteitis pubis, or inflammation between the pubic bones that causes swelling in the groin and abdomen, rendered him unavailable for all but six games last season. Retirement isn't on the table yet, but the 34-year-old Sharks captain hasn't skated since his last game on Jan. 31.

Grier told reporters that Couture will start the season on injured reserve. Given that he hasn't skated in nearly eight months and wasn't in condition to hit the ice during the summer, it stands to reason that Couture is in an uphill battle to resume his career. Along with Marc-Edouard Vlasic , Couture is the last link to the Sharks' glory years. He's spent his entire career in San Jose and ranks within their top five in games played, goals, assists and points.

"There's been different stages of where mentally I've been at the last 15, 16, months," Couture said. "A lot of ups and downs, highs and lows. Yeah, I can't say it's been easy for sure. I've kind of learned how to properly deal with it."

Is Will Smith going to crack the opening-night lineup?

Celebrini seems destined to make his NHL debut and dig into his rookie season. Smith could join him – especially with Couture remaining sidelined. The Sharks didn't just boost their forward group with Toffoli; they also signed Alex Wennberg , brought back Barclay Goodrow and added Ty Dellandrea and Carl Grundstrom .

But there isn't a true top-six center among them, and that gives the 19-year-old Smith a direct path toward the second line. Having Celebrini and Smith as the focal points down the middle is something they've imagined for a long time, and it could be a reality sooner than they anticipated. Smith is a pure playmaker who could instantly boost their flagging offense if he adjusts to the size and speed of the NHL game right away.

"Obviously, it's an 82-game season," Smith said. "It's going to be a grind. The whole summer I was preparing for it. It's a job now so it's a business. I came here to win."

What will the remade defense look like?

The Sharks allowed 326 goals last season, the most since 1995-96. Their two-year total of 641 goals against is the most since the franchise's first two seasons – years when they won a combined 28 games. Yeah, it was that bad. There's no way to win when you allow nearly four goals and are outshot by nearly 10 per contest.

Changes had to be made. Kyle Burroughs , Calen Addison and Ty Emberson were either traded or allowed to move on. Jake Walman and Cody Ceci were acquisitions who should give the Sharks an immediate upgrade, as both have proven to capably handle top-four minutes. It's possible that Ceci will join Mario Ferraro to form the top pair, while Walman and Jan Rutta settle in as the second pair.

With Vlasic currently sidelined due to a lower-body injury, Matt Benning may have an avenue to get back into San Jose's defensive mix. Benning played in 77 games during his first Sharks season two years ago, but hip problems limited him to 14 in 2023-24 and eventual season-ending surgery. Either Benning or Vlasic could wind up as the partner to Henry Thrun on the third pair.

Will Yaroslav Askarov grab one of the two goalie spots?

The Sharks' stunning August trade for the 22-year-old former Nashville mega-prospect theoretically gives them a potential No. 1 goalie for the long haul. It was a bold move by Grier, who jumped on Askarov after the Predators signed star netminder Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension.

But that doesn't mean Askarov will be their No. 1 overnight. He's got veterans Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek to contend with. Blackwood is a physical talent and kept the Sharks in games they had no business being in because of their overwhelmed defense. He'll likely start out as San Jose's lead guy as Vitek Vanecek looks to show that he's fully recovered from a lower-body injury that left him unable to make his Sharks debut after his trade from New Jersey.

Askarov starts camp nursing a lower-body injury, so he'll be behind Blackwood and Vanecek as far as on-ice preparation. The Sharks do benefit from him being waiver-exempt, so they don't have to risk losing him if they were to assign him to their AHL club. But if he's able to get into preseason action, Askarov might have the opportunity to force a decision by management. Teams often try to stay away from carrying three goalies.

(Photo of Logan Couture: Ronald Martinez / )