5 Lineup Changes the San Jose Sharks Should Consider for the New Year

As 2014 comes to a close, people are making resolutions for the new year. The San Jose Sharks should be making some changes as well in 2015. Here is a look at five lineup changes the Sharks should consider for the new year.

Keep in mind that these changes do not include possible trades—only moves that the Sharks can make with the players they already have on the present roster or in the organization. It can include line changes, benching a player or calling up a player from the minors. It can also involve increasing or reducing the ice time a player is receiving.

Feel free to comment on any of these five suggested changes or come up with some of your own. As always, indicate why you feel the way you do.

Play Mirco Mueller or Send Him to the Minors

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Mirco Mueller needs to gain more experience.

The Sharks have bungled the way they have handled rookie defenseman Mirco Mueller from the start of this season.

The 19-year-old former first-round pick started the season in the NHL after winning a battle in training camp for a spot on the roster.

The coaching staff initially paired Mueller with Brent Burns, a player making the switch back to defense after playing on the wing the past few seasons. This is hardly an ideal pairing, as neither of them is established, confident and comfortable playing in the defensive zone. The best partner for a rookie like Mueller would have been an experienced, steady defenseman.

Lately, Mueller has been a healthy scratch most of the time since the Sharks acquired Brenden Dillon. 

This past week, the Sharks announced they would allow Mueller to play in the World Juniors for his native Switzerland. This is a step in the right direction because it will give the rookie a chance to play and hopefully regain some of his confidence.

When the tournament is over, the Sharks have an important decision to make. General manager Doug Wilson either has to commit to giving Mueller a spot in the lineup every night with substantial ice time or send him back to juniors where he can play regularly and continue to develop his game. Either way, the organization has wasted a year of Mueller's entry-level contract and delayed his development.   

Bench John Scott

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John Scott is a one-dimensional tough guy.

The time has come to sit enforcer John Scott for nearly all of the Sharks' remaining games.

Scott is a one-dimensional player who is good at what he does: He fights.

In 15 games, the big man has one goal and one assist to go along with 24 penalty minutes. He is averaging just 6:52 of ice time per game when he actually plays.

In the modern NHL, there just isn't room on a team's roster for a player who can only contribute with his fists. Scott's skating, passing and overall play are just not up to NHL standards.

The team has other players on the roster—such as Andrew Desjardins, Adam Burish and Raffi Torres (when healthy)—who can play physical, gritty hockey and also fight to protect teammates when necessary.

Once the playoffs begin, Scott will most likely be a healthy scratch, as fighting is greatly reduced in the postseason.

Scott should sit whenever possible and allow a younger and more skilled player stay in the lineup. This will become easier once some of the Sharks' injured forwards get healthy and Scott is done serving his four-game suspension.

Give Tommy Wingels a Shot on the Top Line

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Tommy Wingels would add some grit to the top line.

With all the injuries the Sharks have suffered at forward, Tommy Wingels has moved up to the second line in recent games alongside Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. Perhaps a better idea is to move Wingels up to the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski and shift Tomas Hertl back to the second unit.

Wingels is by far the most physical Sharks forward. He has been credited with 136 hits in 35 games, more than twice the amount of any other player on the San Jose roster.

Adding Wingels to the top trio would create more room to operate for Thornton and Pavelski and give that line a player who can go into the corners and dig the puck out. That should make Thornton and Pavelski more productive.

Moving Hertl to the second line should also take a little pressure off the slumping sophomore forward, which could make him more productive as well.

This change may not be a long-term solution, but it is worth a try to jump-start the top two offensive units.

Play Alex Stalock More Often

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Alex Stalock deserves more playing time.

The numbers are straightforward: Alex Stalock deserves a chance to play more often.

Stalock has a lower GAA than starter Antti Niemi (2.12 vs 2.44) and a better save percentage (.926 vs. .917).

The time has come for Stalock to play at least as many games as Niemi and to get a chance to play in big games against top opponents at least as often as Niemi.

If the Sharks do this between now and the trade deadline, they can move Niemi if Stalock passes the test or go back to Niemi as the uncontested No. 1 if Stalock stumbles.

Either way, this is the second straight year Stalock has put up better numbers than Niemi. The time has come for the Sharks to see whether Stalock is capable of being a quality NHL starter.

Move Brent Burns Back to Forward

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Brent Burns should move back to wing.

The Sharks' decision to move Brent Burns back to defense has been a mixed bag. On the one hand, Burns has been a strong offensive contributor from the blue line. Unfortunately, his play in his own zone has been shaky at best.

In 35 games, Burns has 10 goals and 27 points. His plus-minus has improved a bit during the Sharks' recent winning streak, but it is still at a minus-three.

Make no mistake: Burns' versatility is an asset, but the Sharks are not deep enough on defense right now to carry Burns and younger players like Mirco Mueller. The Sharks are better off moving Burns back to forward and having him available to play defense in an emergency or if injuries hit.

Right now, a lack of consistent defense is the biggest difference between the Sharks and the other contenders in the Western Conference. The only way Team Teal should keep Burns on defense is if it upgrades the position by acquiring another defenseman who is strong in his own zone.