The Sharks are headed into opening night with a fresh look, and one of the biggest names from their latest draft class is already in the mix. San Jose announced its roster, and 2026 No. 2 pick Ivar Stenberg is staying with the big club to start the season.
The forward group comes in at 14, with seven defensemen and two goalies making the cut. Adam Gaudette won’t be part of that opening-night group, though.
He’s dealing with an upper-body injury that has lingered through most of camp, and he’ll begin the season on injured reserve. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday that Gaudette was day-to-day.
San Jose’s roster lists these forwards: Macklin Celebrini, Igor Chernyshov, Ty Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow, Collin Graf, Brett Leason, Mason Marchment, Michael Misa, Zack Ostapchuk, Kiefer Sherwood, Will Smith, Ivar Stenberg, Tyler Toffoli, and Alex Wennberg.
On defense, the Sharks are carrying Nolan Allan, Luca Cagnoni, Sam Dickinson, Michael Kesselring, Darnell Nurse, Dmitry Orlov, and Jacob Trouba. In goal, it’s Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic.
The injured reserve group also includes Alex Barre-Boulet and Logan Couture, while Patrick Giles, Mattias Havelid, Kyle Keyser, Cam Lund, and Quentin Musty are listed on the non-roster side.
Gaudette’s spot goes to Brett Leason, a 6-foot-5 winger who has played 226 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals. Warsofsky said the recommendation came from his good friend and Capitals coach Spencer Carbery.
“Smart guy, picks up systems really well, good on the kill, knows who he is as a player, and really good person,” Warsofsky said. “He’s big, he’s long, gets a stick on a lot of pucks, knows his identity.
I think that’s a big thing. He’s been really consistent, so he’s earned the right to be here.”
Based on camp usage, the opening-night forward lines look like this: Mason Marchment with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith; Igor Chernyshov with Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli; Ivar Stenberg with Alex Wennberg and Collin Graf; and Barclay Goodrow with Zack Ostapchuk and Kiefer Sherwood.
The projected defense pairs are Darnell Nurse with Michael Kesselring, Sam Dickinson with Jacob Trouba, and Dmitry Orlov with Luca Cagnoni. Askarov and Nedeljkovic would be the two goalies.
There’s still one spot in the defensive mix worth watching. The question is whether Allan could take Dickinson’s place next to Trouba.
Allan has been the steadier of the two in camp, while Dickinson finished the preseason on a high note. That decision could come into focus during practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Macklin Celebrini gives that projection a face, and a newly formal one at that, as the center of the organizations next push. Around him, the offense has become a real talking point, with Ivar Stenberg, Michael Misa and Will Smith all mentioned as reasons the Sharks can no longer be treated like a team that is simply interesting on paper. The promise is still there, but now the larger question is whether San Jose can turn it into something more durable before the window of optimism starts to feel overdue. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Interest In Connor Hellebuyck Raises A Bigger Goalie Question
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Yaroslav Askarov is still part of the equation, which makes this more than a simple upgrade chase for San Jose. Winnipeg is not expected to part with Hellebuyck lightly, and any real conversation would likely require a major return, so the Sharks are left weighing whether a swing at an elite veteran fits their timeline or just complicates the future they are trying to build. [Read more 🡒]