San Jose Sharks: What the Lineup Should Look Like Come Playoffs

With the recent acquisitions of wingers TJ Galiardi and Daniel Winnik, the San Jose Sharks have a ton of depth to work with at the forward position. That depth, which is always crucial during the postseason, will improve even more when injured forwards Martin Havlat and Logan Couture return to the lineup. 

Since joining the Sharks earlier this week, Winnik has been skating with Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski on the second line, while Galiardi has been assigned to the club's third line. These lines are guaranteed to change, however, when San Jose is fully healthy.

Martin Havlat is expected to be good to go by mid-March and Couture should be returning to the lineup even sooner. Here's how I see the forward lines shaping up once they're both healthy: 

Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski

Ryane Clowe - Logan Couture - Martin Havlat

Daniel Winnik - Dominic Moore - TJ Galiardi

Brad Winchester - Michal Handzus - Tommy Wingels

Extra: Torrey Mitchell, Andrew Desjardins 

Let's break that down line by line. The first trio is a group that has spent the majority of the season together. Thornton and Pavelski have displayed tremendous chemistry and Patrick Marleau brings speed and tenacity. These three have played well together this year and should be reunited for the playoffs. 

On line two, Clowe and Couture are a dynamic duo that play two very different styles that compliment each other nicely. While Couture plays a cerebral game and possesses a lethal shot, Clowe is a bruising power forward who's great down low and in front of the net. Martin Havlat provides a whole lot of speed, great hands and high-end playmaking skills. This was San Jose's second line before Havlat got hurt.

The third line consists of three mid-season additions to the roster. Dominic Moore was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning last month and brings speed, solid defensive play and a bit of grit to the lineup. He's also terrific in the face-off dot. Winnik and Galiardi know each other well from their time together with the Colorado Avalanche and are both well-suited for third-line roles. Both wingers are quick skaters, tenacious forecheckers and strong penalty-killers.

The fourth line is where the Sharks have a lot of flexibility. Brad Winchester and Michal Handzus are likely locks to start, considering their statuses as experienced veterans. Handzus has had a poor season offensively, but remains a key part of San Jose's penalty kill and one of their better defensive forwards. That leaves the right wing spot up for grabs.

Here, I give the edge to rookie Tommy Wingels. He has seen top-six minutes with Ryane Clowe and Joe Thornton over the last few games and has not looked out of place. He hustles, plays physical and has made some pretty impressive plays in the offensive zone. He has been more effective than both Torrey Mitchell and Andrew Desjardins. 

I expect that head coach Todd McLellan will experiment with that right wing spot for a few games before deciding who deserves it. Desjardins brings grit and penalty killing, Mitchell provides speed and Wingels has a much wider range of skills than either of them. All three will likely see ice time on the fourth line during the postseason, but I see Wingels earning the roster spot.  

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