The Sharks finished the preseason with a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, but the bigger story is everything still waiting to be sorted out before opening night.
San Jose has until Sept. 28 at 2 PM PT to submit its roster, then it opens the season on Oct. 1. Between now and then, there are real decisions to make - and a few of them were on display in the final tune-up.
Yaroslav Askarov gave the Sharks another strong look in net. He stopped 27 of 29 shots and was at his best early, when Vegas controlled play and outshot San Jose 25-5 through the first two periods. That pushed his preseason save percentage to .942.
“He just has a real focus about himself right now. I think we saw that tonight, especially in the first period, looked calm, made some huge saves,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Made big save after big save, and that’s what great goaltenders do.”
Askarov’s first season as the Sharks starter had its bumps, outside of an excellent November, but he’s only 24 and brings a level of talent San Jose badly needs. The organization is asking a lot of him. The question now is whether this is the stretch where he starts looking like the answer.
The penalty kill was another area that offered some clues. Last season, San Jose’s power play finished 16th in the NHL, but the PK was even more problematic at 26th. On this night, the Sharks tried a different look, with Collin Graf taking the opening draw on every kill.
That setup included these units:
PK1: Goodrow-Graf-Nurse-Kesselring
PK2: Sherwood-Ostapchuk-Allan-Trouba
PK3: Chernyshov-Wennberg
Graf took the initial draw.
Against Tomas Hertl, one of the league’s best faceoff men, Graf won just 2 of 6 draws. Warsofsky liked the effort.
“He’s a heavy, hard center there in the dot,” Warsofsky said. “[Graf] held his own. I thought he did a pretty good job.”
Graf wasn’t ready to call it solved, though, and pointed to the rush chances Vegas generated.
“I think in zone, it was good. A lot of the chances came off the rush and their goal too.
We’ll keep working on [opposition] entries. We [have to] mix it up a little bit,” Graf said.
“So just trying to get all the guys out there together and getting some reps was good.”
On the blue line, the competition is still very much alive. Sam Dickinson had an uneven camp coming in, enough that starting the season on the bench was at least on the table.
Against Vegas, he looked more assertive offensively and steadier in one-on-one defense, especially as the game went on. San Jose outshot the Golden Knights 11-4 in the third period.
“Sam, it was probably his best game of the training camp,” Warsofsky said. “I thought he was more engaged. There was a lot we can build off of.”
Nolan Allan continues to make his own case, too. He has taken Dickinson’s early camp spot next to Jacob Trouba, and Warsofsky kept praising what he’s seen.
“Al was blocking shots, composed, just plays, just competes,” Warsofsky said. “I really like what he’s done tonight and through camp.”
Dickinson is 20 and Allan is 23, so the long-term upside conversation is one thing. The opening-night question is simpler: who is ready right now?
Then there’s the pair of young names drawing the loudest buzz. Ivar Stenberg and Michael Misa have both produced in the preseason - Stenberg, the 2026 No. 2 pick, has three goals and five points, while Misa, the 2025 No. 2 pick, has three goals and six points.
But this game was their first real NHL-level test. Their first two preseason outings came against the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks’ B-teams, and the jump in difficulty showed.
Stenberg had a few rough moments handling the puck, which is no surprise for an 18-year-old adjusting to the North American pace. He also flashed on the forecheck against Vegas’ top players, the kind of work that matters even when the points don’t come.
“Ivar was pretty good. I think he’s smart.
I think that was really his first test, obviously over here in North America at that pace, but that type of experience on the other side,” Warsofsky said. “The game was quick, so we’ll look at it.”
Misa scored again, but Warsofsky made it clear there’s still plenty to sharpen in his game, especially with the puck and in his own zone.
“It’s a little inconsistent, to be honest with you. I think we see it in spurts,” Warsofsky said.
“There’s a long ways to go, and we have to remember he’s still a young player. He’s still figuring it out.
He’s going against some tough centers tonight.”
Misa does look more dangerous at full speed and more willing to let it rip, but that’s only part of the package for a center who wants to become a real two-way force.
“There’s some things we got to clean up, not just with him,” Warsofsky said, “but our whole group.”
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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 🡒]