Who are these guys? Five new San Jose Sharks players to watch as camp gets underway

With San Jose Sharks training camp just getting underway, it might take some time for fans – and the players themselves — to get used to every new face on the team’s roster.

That’s what the next three weeks are for.

The holdover Sharks will try to mesh with the eight or so new players on the team’s roster between now and San Jose’s regular season opener on Oct. 12 at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.

In that time, the Sharks coaching staff will need to decide who plays on what line, which defense pairs will work best together, which youngsters will crack the roster, and if that happens, which veterans will be on the outside looking in.

Whatever happens, by the time camp ends in three weeks, the Sharks’ lineup will look a lot different than it did toward the end of last season.

Here are five players to watch during the Sharks training camp.

FILIP ZADINA, winger – Zadina, 23, sought a fresh start elsewhere after an inconsistent five-year tenure with Detroit. After he and the Red Wings parted ways in July and he cleared unconditional waivers, Zadina signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Sharks, giving up millions in guaranteed money in the process just to get a change of scenery.

Zadina was sold by Sharks coach David Quinn on the opportunity he would have in San Jose. Quinn said there were no guarantees made to Zadina, other than he would be given a fair shot to revitalize his career after he had just 28 goals and 68 points in his first 190 NHL games.

Maybe it’s the start of a wonderful marriage.

Zadina figures to start camp on one of the Sharks’ top three lines, but it’s where he’s playing by the end of camp that matters. Can a new city bring out the best in him?

MIKAEL GRANLUND, center/winger – Coming over from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson deal, Granlund, 31, might have been happy to leave Western Pennsylvania in the rear-view mirror.

Granlund had just five points in 21 games for the Penguins after he was acquired from Nashville at the trade deadline in March by then-GM Ron Hextall. After the Pens failed to make the playoffs, Hextall was canned, and Granlund’s days in the ‘burgh seemed numbered.

The Sharks would like to get the Nashville version of Granlund rather than the Pittsburgh version, as the Nashville version piled up 100 points in 138 games from 2021 to 2023. If he can recapture some of that form, he should be able to help the Sharks win a few more games than expected. We’ll also see where Granlund is utilized, at center or on the wing. Now in teal, Granlund said he’s happy either way.

SHAKIR MUKHAMADULLIN, defenseman – When the Sharks traded Timo Meier to New Jersey in February, Mukhamadullin was the centerpiece of San Jose’s return. Now the Sharks brass, and the fanbase, want to see how the 21-year-old Mukhamadullin will fare in his first training camp with the organization.

There’s a lot to be intrigued by. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, Mukhamadullin possesses a hard shot, handles the puck well for his size, and earned positive reviews at the Rookie Faceoff event in Las Vegas for his improved gaps and no-nonsense style of defense. Now with the competition picking up a few notches, the Sharks will want to how Mukhamadullin fares against seasoned NHL players after he had 10 points in 12 games with the Barracuda in the spring.

Mukhamadullin will probably be back in the AHL for the start of this season, but not before he gets a good look In NHL camp to get a gauge of where he’s at in his development.

LEON GAWANKE, defenseman – Gawanke, 24, was looking for a fresh start with another organization after he spent four seasons with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL without getting a sniff of an NHL game. He got his wish in July as he was acquired by the Sharks from the Winnipeg Jets for fellow defenseman Artemi Kniazev.

There’s no doubt that Gawanke, listed at 6-1 and 185 pounds, can produce offense after he had 114 points in 207 games over four years with the Moose, including 45 points in 68 games last season. Whether he can do it at the NHL level is another matter. The Sharks have a need for a defenseman who can produce offense and over the next three weeks, they’ll get a good idea as to whether Gawanke can be that guy.

MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD, goalie – The Sharks have no chance of improving on their 22-44-16 record from last season if they do not get quality goaltending, and they certainly hope Blackwood can be a part of the solution after they awarded him a two-year, $4.7 million deal on July 1.