Sharks season preview: Trade for Karlsson boosts Stanley Cup hopes

The 2018-19 NHL season begins Wednesday. NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the San Jose Sharks.

Coach: Peter DeBoer (fourth season)
Last season: 45-27-10; third place Pacific Division, lost to Vegas Golden Knights in Western Conference Second Round
RELATED: [Complete Season Preview coverage]

5 KEYS

1. Karlsson's impact

The Sharks acquired Erik Karlsson, a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL, in a trade from the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 13. They already had a strong defenseman group featuring Brent Burns, who won the Norris in 2016-17, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Adding Karlsson makes San Jose that much better.

"I think we've got arguably one of the greatest [offensive defensemen] in Burns," center Joe Thornton said. "Now you put one of the other greatest of all time, we're going to have a lot of offense. We just have to remember that defense is going to win us games. We have to take care of our end first."

2. Stanley Cup or bust

The pressure on the Sharks to win the Stanley Cup for the first time ratcheted up after they acquired Karlsson. During a meeting on the eve of their first practice of training camp, coach Peter DeBoer told them, "Our time is now, our window is now."

3. Power-play surge

The Sharks power play was 16th in the NHL last season (20.6 percent), a big jump from 2016-17, when it was 25th (16.7 percent). DeBoer believes Karlsson can help the San Jose power play return to elite status. It ranked third in 2015-16 (22.5 percent), when the Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Final. Karlsson likely will join Burns, Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture on the top unit.

4. Balanced scoring

Five Sharks scored at least 20 goals last season (Couture, 34; Evander Kane, 29 [nine with Sharks after trade from Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 26]; Pavelski, 22; Tomas Hertl, 22; and Timo Meier, 21), and 12 reached double digits. Couture has emerged as San Jose's most dangerous goal-scorer, with Kane a close second, but the Sharks relied heavily on depth scoring last season and want that trend to continue.

5. A healthy Thornton

The 39-year-old had season-ending surgery after he tore two ligaments in his right knee Jan. 23. Late in the 2016-17 season, he tore two ligaments in his left knee, and then hobbled through a six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round before offseason surgery. San Jose needs Thornton to stay healthy if it hopes to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup. He's an elite passer with 1,030 career assists, 12th in NHL history, and a huge presence in the locker room. Thornton is expected to be the center on the top line, with Kane on his left and Pavelski on his right. The Sharks sent third-line center Chris Tierney to Ottawa in the Karlsson trade, and fourth-line center Eric Fehr signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild. They can't afford to lose their first-line center too.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

Antti Suomela, who signed as a free agent June 6, is expected to replace Tierney as the third-line center. The 24-year-old led Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, with 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) last season. He had 131 points (56 goals, 75 assists) in 169 career games in Liiga. Having Hertl play center on the third line is another option, but he has thrived skating with Couture on the second line.

Most intriguing addition

Karlsson is the obvious choice here. It will be up to DeBoer to decide where Karlsson best fits in the lineup. When he reported to camp, Karlsson was paired with Vlasic.

Biggest potential surprise

Defenseman Radim Simek has caught coaches' attention during training camp with his physical and solid play. Simek signed with the Sharks as a free agent from the Czech Republic on May 23, 2017, and had 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) last season with the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League. He likely won't crack the top six out of camp, but if a defenseman is injured, Simek could see NHL action this season.

Ready to break through

Meier had 21 goals and 36 points in his first full NHL season and appears ready to make a run at 30 goals. Meier, the No. 9 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, plays a physical, fearless game at both ends of the ice. He'll likely skate on the second line with Couture and Hertl.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Evander Kane -- Joe Thornton -- Joe Pavelski
Tomas Hertl -- Logan Couture -- Timo Meier
Joonas Donskoi -- Antti Suomela -- Kevin Labanc
Marcus Sorensen -- Dylan Gambrell -- Melker Karlsson
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Erik Karlsson
Joakim Ryan -- Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon -- Justin Braun
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell