Burning Questions as San Jose Sharks 2014 Training Camp Approaches

Training camp is about to open for the San Jose Sharks and the rest of the NHL. The Sharks face several burning questions as the new season is about to get underway. This article analyzes the top five most important issues facing Team Teal as the new season gets started.

How these questions are answered will go a long way toward determining how successful San Jose will be in 2014-15. If the Sharks answer these questions sufficiently, they will likely have a productive season and once again be contenders.

If they fail to adequately address the issues discussed here, it could be a very disappointing campaign in San Jose.

Feel free to comment on any of the issues listed here or to mention an issue you feel belongs on this list. As always, indicate why you feel the way you do.

5. Will Brent Burns Make the Transition Back to Defense?

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

Brent Burns is moving back to defense this season.

Brent Burns scored 22 goals and 48 points in 69 games while playing forward for the Sharks last season. He added size and presence in front of the net and seemed to fit in well on the top line, especially early in the season.

However, general manager Doug Wilson told the Associated Press (via Fox News) that Burns would be playing defense again in 2014-15 shortly after the Sharks were eliminated from the playoffs last spring. He had originally moved from defense to forward during the 2012-13 season.

The Sharks will count on the 6'5", 230-pound native of Ajax, Ontario, to provide them with significant minutes on the blue line and to be a big part of their blue-line corps.

The pressure will be even greater since two key defensemen from last season, Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart, will both not be back with the Sharks this fall.

Burns needs to stay healthy and play well for the Sharks defense to remain strong and for the team to contend in the competitive Pacific Division.

4. How Good Can Tomas Hertl Be?

Tomas Hertl showed how much talent he had during his rookie season. Although he played in just 37 games, the native of the Czech Republic scored 15 goals and 25 points. That put the then-19-year-old winger on pace for more than 30 goals.

His four-goal performance against the New York Rangers in October included the most spectacular goal of the season, not just for the Sharks but for the entire NHL. Most players have trouble making a move like that in a shootout; Hertl did it during regular gameplay.

All of that potential means little if Hertl can't stay healthy and produce at a consistent rate over a full 82-game season. If Hertl takes the next step in his development, he could score 30-35 goals or more.

If he takes a step back, however, his defensive liabilities and inability to play within the team's system could cost the team.

Like all quality NHL teams, the Sharks will need scoring depth. Hertl is the key to providing it.

3. Who Will Be the Starting Goalie?

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Will Antti Niemi hold on to his starting job?

Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock will battle for the starting goaltending position in San Jose in training camp.

Both players have some advantages heading into the season. Niemi has more experience and has even helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup back in 2010. With the Sharks, Niemi has been a very good netminder, at least during the regular seasons.

Stalock has never played more than 24 games in a single NHL season. He is younger than Niemi but put up superior statistics a year ago. Stalock had a better GAA (1.87 vs. 2.39) and a better save percentage (.932 vs. .913) than Niemi.

But can Stalock maintain similar numbers over a full season when he is called on to start 50 or more games?

This battle may continue throughout the season and even into the playoffs if the Sharks get that far. But coach Todd McLellan needs to determine who gets the first crack at the starting job during training camp. If one goalie claims the job in camp, he may not relinquish it during the season.

2. Who Will Be the New Captain?

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Joe Thornton has been stripped of his captaincy.

During the summer, general manager Doug Wilson announced that veteran center Joe Thornton would be stripped of his captaincy in 2014-15.

Thornton had worn the "C" in San Jose for the past four seasons. Now he will see someone else assume that role.

The Sharks need new leadership. Their talent level has rarely been questioned in the past decade. But Team Teal's consistent playoff disappointments have led many to question their heart and leadership.

Some of the candidates to become the new captain include forwards Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

Expect the team to select the new leader before the season starts. Whoever emerges as the best candidate during training camp should win this battle. The Sharks need someone to emerge with a new and more successful approach that includes a greater sense of urgency.

1. How Will the Sharks React to Last Year's Painful Playoff Loss?

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The Sharks need to recover from their playoff collapse.

When we last saw the Sharks on the ice, they endured a playoff collapse of historic proportions. San Jose had a 3-0 lead over the Los Angeles Kings in their opening-round playoff series but then became just the fourth team in NHL history to lose a series after holding a 3-0 lead.

The Sharks have been considered a serious Stanley Cup contender for more than 10 years now, but they have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Final. In a decade of playoff frustrations, this one was by far the most painful.

So how do the Sharks respond to this embarrassing defeat? No matter how well they do during the regular season, the only thing that can truly erase the stain of an epic choke is a long playoff run next spring.

Of course, to get there, Team Teal need to put together a solid regular season. If the Sharks get off to a slow start, fans and the media will point to a hangover effect from last spring's collapse.

The team will need to regroup, presumably under a new captain and new on-ice leadership, and show that it is still a legitimate contender. It needs to get off to a good start and demonstrate a proper attitude and response to last year's collapse, and that starts in training camp.