What You Need to Know About the 2014 Training Camp for the San Jose Sharks

Veteran skaters take to the ice for the first time at San Jose Sharks training camp on Friday at the Sharks training facility.

Rookies reported a week earlier and did their best to make a strong first impression on the coaching staff. Eleven rookies were cut from the training camp roster on September 18, the day before the veterans were scheduled to start practicing.

The Sharks have plenty to prove after last spring's disappointing and historic playoff loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Coach Todd McLellan has to help his team regain their confidence if they hope to contend again in the tough Pacific Division.

Here is a look at some of the key storylines that may emerge at Sharks' training camp. Feel free to comment on any of these issues or any other important pieces of news you feel "Team Teal" is facing as they kick off the 2014-15 NHL season. As always, indicate why you feel the way you do.

Rookies to Watch

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Defenseman Mirco Mueller hopes to make the team.

Since the Sharks have been consistent winners over the past decade, there are only a handful of jobs available on the NHL roster. Still, there are a few rookies worth keeping a close eye on during camp.

The rookie with the best chance of making the team is former first-round pick Mirco Mueller. The Swiss native is only 19 and has nine games of pro experience to his credit.

Still, he has great hockey smarts and plays positionally sound hockey. While Mueller may never be a big contributor offensively, he can provide solid minutes as a rookie if he's ready physically to make the team.

His main competition for a spot on the roster will be fellow rookie Matt Tennyson. The 24-year-old has more experience than Mueller and owns a heavy shot that could be an asset on the power play.

The Sharks will also want to take an extended look at this year's top pick, winger Nikolay Goldobin. The 18-year-old Russian is likely headed back to the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, but the Sharks love his offensive potential and want to see what he is capable of doing in training camp when playing against grown men.

The Team Needs to Bounce Back from Last Year's Playoff Collapse

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The Sharks blew a 3-0 series lead last spring.

The Sharks made the wrong kind of history last spring when they became only the fourth team in NHL history to lose a playoff series after holding a 3-0 lead. Now, McClellan's club has to find a way to bounce back emotionally from that devastating defeat.

San Jose dominated the first two games of the series, outscoring the Kings 17-8 in the first three games before watching the series slip away.

While the roster doesn't appear radically different than last year's club, the players and coaching staff have to know that if the team gets off to a slow start this season, bigger changes will be forthcoming.

To take it a step even further, the Sharks have been considered serious Stanley Cup contenders for more than a decade, but they have never even won the Western Conference title, let alone a Stanley Cup.

This team needs a change of attitude and confidence, and that has to begin in training camp.

The Defense Needs to Settle Down

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Brent Burns is moving back to defense.

The Sharks will be without two key contributors on defense from last season: Brad Stuart and Dan Boyle.

Boyle was San Jose's top offensive-minded defenseman, while Stuart was a steady veteran presence counted on to be smart in his own zone.

One of those spots will be filled by Brent Burns, who the team is moving back to the blueline after he played forward for all of last year and part of the prior campaign.

The remaining spot is up for grabs with rookies Mueller and Tennyson being considered the top candidates to fill the position.

The Sharks will need to define the roles each player will take. Boyle served as power play on the top power-play unit, and a replacement has to be found to take over that position as well. The exact pairings also need to be determined by the coaching staff.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun, Jason Demers, Burns and Matt Irwin figure to fill the top five spots, with the sixth and seventh (depth) spots still up for grabs.

The Battle for Starting Goaltender

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Antii Niemi and Alex Stalock will battle for playing time.

Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock figure to battle for the starting goaltending position.

Niemi's failure to recreate the playoff magic he showed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 is a concern for the organization. Niemi won a Cup in Chicago but has been inconsistent in the playoffs for San Jose.

Stalock has never been a No. 1 goalie in the NHL and must adjust to the workload and pressure that goes along with that if he hopes to claim the job. Still, Stalock put up better statistics than Niemi last season with a lower GAA (1.87 to 2.39) and save percentage (.932 to .913).

This battle may continue throughout the regular season with McLellan hoping someone emerges as a clear cut No. 1 before the start of the playoffs. Don't rule out a possible trade at some point during the season, either.

This will be an interesting battle to watch during training camp and beyond.

Selecting a New Captain

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Joe Thornton has been stripped of "the C."

After last season's historic postseason collapse, the Sharks stripped veteran center Joe Thornton of his captaincy.

San Jose now has two former captains on its roster in Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

The Sharks need to name a new captain or several alternate captains before the regular season gets under way in October.

Ideally, one of the younger veterans on the roster will emerge as the new leader. Top candidates include Joe Pavelski, Vlasic and Logan Couture. All of them are established veterans with large roles on the ice. None of them are as old as Thornton and Marleau, who are both closely associated with more than a decade of playoff failure.

The new captain has to help this team move past last year's playoff collapse. The decision could make or break this team's future.