San Jose Sharks Players with the Most to Prove During the 2014-15 Preseason

Many players on the San Jose Sharks roster have something to prove this preseason.

While every professional athlete is looking to improve every year, some members of the Sharks have more to prove than others before the start of the new season.

There are players fighting for a starting job or a spot on a particular line or unit, players looking to bounce back from shaky seasons, players seeking to make the NHL for the first time and ones adjusting to a new or different position.

There are two major factors determining a player's ranking on this list: how big an individual challenge the player is facing and how important that player's success is to the team for the coming season. 

Feel free to comment on any player on this list or any player you feel belongs here but was omitted. As always, indicate why you feel the way you do.

Honorable Mention

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Patrick Marleau needs to prove he's still got what it takes.

Here are a few players who nearly made this list. They are listed in no particular order along with a brief description of what they have to prove this preseason.

Tomas Hertl: The 20-year-old native of the Czech Republic has a few things to prove as he starts his second NHL season. First, he has to stay healthy and take the pounding of a full 82-game season. He also needs to improve his play in the defensive zone and show that he is ready to take the next step in his development toward being one of the game's most dangerous offensive players.

Patrick Marleau: Marleau was stripped of his spot as an alternate captain during the offseason after the team's historic playoff collapse. Marleau needs to prove he is still a top-six forward and someone who can make a positive contribution to the team's locker-room culture.

Taylor Fedun: Fedun has impressed some observers in training camp, but this may be his last chance to prove he's a regular NHL player. The Edmonton native is 26. He made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers last season, appearing in four games and scoring twice. If he fails to stick now, the former Princeton star may be labeled as a career minor leaguer.

5. Mirco Mueller

Don Smith/Getty Images

Is Mirco Mueller ready for the NHL this season?

Mirco Mueller is only 19 and he's already fighting for a spot on the NHL roster.

The Sharks selected Mueller with the 18th overall selection in the 2013 NHL draft.

The Swiss native is maturing physically and has excellent hockey smarts. The question is whether or not he's one of the best six defenseman in camp this fall.

Barring a serious injury or a major trade, Mueller has a bright future in San Jose. The question is whether that future starts now or if Mueller is better off spending his first full pro season in the AHL.

4. Matt Irwin

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

Matt Irwin is fighting to stay in the NHL.

Matt Irwin played in 62 games with the Sharks last season, his first full NHL campaign.

He was a healthy scratch during the playoffs until an injury to Marc-Edouard Vlasic returned him to the lineup for the final two games of the series against the Los Angeles Kings.

In training camp, younger defensemen are fighting for a spot in the lineup with the 26-year-old Victoria, British Columbia, native.

Irwin knows what's at stake this preseason. "I want to be a regular. I’ve got to prove that I deserve that opportunity, and there’s guys that want that job, as well,” Irwin told CSNBayArea.com's Kevin Kurz. “For me, it’s keeping my game simple, getting pucks to the net, and doing the things that make me successful.”

Irwin could end up the seventh defenseman, or he could be sent down to Worcester if other players pass him on the depth chart. A trade to a team that needs help on defense may also be a possibility for Irwin, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Irwin knows it is now or never for him if he hopes to establish himself as a regular NHL defenseman.

3. Brent Burns

Don Smith/Getty Images

Brent Burns is moving back to defense.

Big Brent Burns is readjusting to his old position.

Burns has been moved between forward and defenseman several times during his NHL career. This past offseason, the Sharks organization decided he was better suited to the blue line, where he will return after spending nearly two seasons playing on the wing.

With both Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart gone from last season, the Sharks expect Burns to play a major role on the team's defense.

Getting off to strong start during training camp and the preseason will give both Burns and the team more confidence that he is equal to the task.

2. Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock

Harry How/Getty Images

Antti Niemi has to win the starting goaltending job again.

Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock are fighting to be the Sharks' starting goalie this preseason. The battle will probably continue throughout the regular season, but getting first crack at it is a major advantage.

Niemi is the veteran with an established track record. He won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 but has not been able to match that playoff success in San Jose.

Niemi is 31 and entering the final year of his contract. If he wants to stay with the Sharks after this season, he has to prove he is still the clear-cut starter and that he can carry the club on a long playoff run.

Stalock is 27 and should be just entering his prime. His statistics were better than Niemi's last season, but he has never played more than 24 games in an NHL season. He has to prove he can be the starter at this level.

The Sharks signed Stalock to a two-year deal over the summer. He makes less money than Niemi and is four years younger, but he has to show he can be the No. 1 netminder.

"Preseason, they'll have equal opportunity—they always have," head coach Todd McLellan told David Pollak of The San Jose Mercury News. "Then as the season opens they'll both have the opportunity to establish themselves, and if somebody gets hot, we'll run that hot goaltender for a little while."

The Sharks hope one of these goalies establishes himself as the clear-cut starter before the playoffs start.

1. Joe Thornton

Noah Graham/Getty Images

How will Joe Thornton respond to being stripped of his captaincy?

During the offseason, the Sharks stripped Joe Thornton of his captaincy. The veteran center will not be wearing the "C" when the new season starts.

Although he will no longer be captain, the Sharks still need "Jumbo Joe" to be productive. Last season, Thornton was second in the league with 65 assists.

He was also a big part of the San Jose power play with two goals and 19 points coming while the Sharks had the extra attacker.

The Sharks need Thornton to continue to be a great passer and setup man. Playing on a line with Thornton makes wingers more productive and that is a key to the team's overall offensive success.

But will the London, Ontario, native sulk a bit after the team said he would no longer be their leader? Will he see his ice time reduced?

The Sharks also need Thornton to have a positive attitude to help keep the locker room a harmonious place. Getting off to a good start in the preseason and early regular season will go a long way toward silencing the critics...at least until the playoffs start.