Predicting San Jose Sharks' Starting Lines at Season's End

As winter comes to an end and the NHL trade deadline rapidly approaches, rumors and speculation are beginning to flow freely throughout the hockey world. The San Jose Sharks, who currently sit atop the Pacific Division with a record of 25-12-5, have been involved in their fair share of trade rumors recently, the most notable of which suggested that winger Ryane Clowe was on his way to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Though little evidence supporting that rumor exists, it is safe to assume that Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has been working the phone lines and is looking to add some depth and speed to his forward ranks. 

San Jose's logjam at the goaltending position indicates that veteran netminder Antero Niittymaki, who has yet to play a game for the Sharks this season, is likely to be moved to a club in need of a capable backup. 

With some holes to fill and some fat to trim, it's likely we will see a new face or two in San Jose's starting lines by the end of the regular season. Here's how I see things shaping up. 

F1: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski

Nothing will change here. The Sharks top line has been very strong this season, with Joe Thornton leading the team in assists with 28 and Patrick Marleau leading the team in points with 36. 

San Jose isn't going to move a core player in the middle of a season in which they're a top contender for the Stanley Cup, and these three forwards are key pieces of the club's core. 

F2: Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture, Martin Havlat

The San Jose Sharks iced this second line early in the season before demoting Martin Havlat to the third line. While together, these three worked very well together. Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture have undeniable chemistry and Havlat's speed and puck control make this trio dynamic and versatile.

Despite the recent rumors that Clowe is close to being dealt, I think he'll still be donning teal come season's end. His grit, physicality and leadership are far too important to this team.  

F3: Jamie McGinn, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu

This is where the biggest change in the roster will take place. San Jose's relative lack of depth in their bottom two lines, as well as their pressing need for more speed, will be addressed at the trade deadline when Doug Wilson sends Torrey Mitchell and a small collection of prospects and draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for winger Tuomo Ruutu.

Wilson and Carolina GM Jim Rutherford have traded three times in the past two years, suggesting that they have one another on speed dial.

Additionally, Ruutu is struggling to produce for the Hurricanes this year and may benefit from a change of scenery. His tenacious penalty killing, physicality, strong skating and soft hands make him a highly versatile forward who could join the Sharks and contribute on any line. 

Veteran pivot Michal Handzus is a lock to remain on the third line, where his steady and reliable two-way game has been key to San Jose's success all season. Jamie McGinn, who struggled to secure a roster spot with the Sharks last season, has found strong chemistry with Handzus and is beginning to contribute on the scoresheet.

The two of them will continue to make their presence felt on the third line throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. 

F4: Brad Winchester, Andrew Desjardins, Andrew Murray

The biggest questions surrounding the San Jose Sharks prior to the beginning of the regular season was what their fourth line would look like and if it would remain intact. At this point, both questions seem to have been answered.

Brad Winchester, Andrew Desjardins and Andrew Murray have skated on the fourth line together for the majority of the season thus far and, once Desjardins recovers from his recent head injury, I expect these three to be reunited once again.  

D1: Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray

With veteran rearguards Colin White and Jim Vandermeer currently on injured reserve, head coach Todd McLellan has had to mix up his defense pairings this season.

Dan Boyle's usual partner, Douglas Murray, has spent the last few weeks paired up with offseason acquisition Brent Burns, while youngster Marc-Edouard Vlasic has played on the top unit with Boyle.

There's no timetable set for the return of White or Vandermeer, but both are expected to get healthy long before the end of the regular season. When they do recover, expect to see Murray reunited with Boyle on the first defense pairing. The two blueliners have displayed tremendous chemistry during their time together.  

D2: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns

The San Jose Sharks began the season with these two paired together on defense and they worked well together during that time. While Brent Burns plays a high tempo, run-and-gun style of hockey, Marc-Edouard Vlasic is the very definition of a stay-at-home defenseman and is very rarely caught out of position. 

When San Jose's banged-up defense corps finally heals, look for these two to rejoin one another on the second defense pairing. 

D3: Jason Demers, Colin White

After a slow start to the season, young puck-mover Jason Demers has picked up his game and become a staple on the Sharks third defense unit and power play. He's currently playing alongside Justin Braun, who has been surprisingly solid in his limited role filling in for the injured Colin White. 

Despite his impressive play this season, don't expect Braun to stick around once White is off the injured list. He's simply a call-up at this point and will likely be returned to the AHL when White's ready to come back.

When that does happen, look for White to join Demers on the third defense pairing for the remainder of the season. 

G: Antti Niemi, Thomas Greiss

If you were to tell any Sharks fan last season that Thomas Greiss would be the team's backup netminder this year, they'd call you crazy. 

The German goalie was loaned to Europe last season after Doug Wilson brought in both Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki during free agency. Most of us assumed this meant the end of Greiss' career with San Jose...until he re-signed with the club last summer as an RFA. 

An injury to Niittymaki during training camp presented Greiss with the opportunity to prove his metal at the NHL level—an opportunity that he quickly seized. In 10 starts this season, he has six wins, a .926 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average.

These numbers are remarkably solid for a player with so little NHL experience and they seem to have earned him a full-time gig as Niemi's backup, as Niittymaki is now healthy but has yet to suit up for a game this season. 

It's just a matter of time before Wilson sends Niittymaki to a team seeking help in net.  

Sam Kelly is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @samkelly10.