"What we've asked of the guys when we got here is to see who's ready to play and who's going to be at the top of their game. Guys come in at different levels and it's tough trying to regain where we left off 10 months ago…Our coaching staff's job is to put the 20-guys we feel are going to be ready on Thursday." - Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner
"There are a couple of spots, and every guy is battling for it, but you have to prove it." - Sharks Forward Tomas Hertl
It comes as no surprise there was competition among players when it came to filling open spots and while some Sharks players have years of NHL experience under their belt, a group of young players made a case for themselves among the coaching staff.
"Experience speaks for itself and we have a lot of that through our lineup, but we need a bit of a restart and refresh. We're big believers in developing and giving the young guys a shot if they've earned it and we have a few young guys in camp that have earned it." -Boughner
One of those young guys being Nikolai Knyzhov, who got a taste of the NHL last season and his hard work in the offseason earned a spot on the Sharks' final roster.
"I think this has been my greatest offseason. I put on almost 20 pounds of muscle and worked on my speed. We didn't know when the season was going to start, but I tried to use the most of this time to be the best version of myself." - Sharks Defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov
"He's got an NHL frame on him for a defenseman. There's no question his skating and ability to make the quick play and play hard defensively is going to be key for him. He's been a great surprise." -Boughner
Among other American League players, Jake Middleton and Dylan Gambrell both landed a spot on the opening day roster; as Nicolas Meloche, and Noah Gregor join the extended Taxi Squad.
With the return of Patrick Marleau, the Sharks aim to hold onto that veteran leadership in the locker room and on the bench as they announce this year's leadership group.
"We made a decision yesterday that Logan Couture is going to remain captain and Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl will [remain alternates]. We are going to give the other "A" to Patrick Marleau. He's a leader and a first-class guy. We have a lot of young guys in our lineup right now, and he's a great person to look up to." -Boughner
"We've talked about the way we want to act as a team and treat each other and I really believe we are in a completely different spot [from last year]." - Boughner
