For the last 19 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 20^th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer/fall. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2022-23 Dobber Hockey Fantasy Guide!

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Gone – Brent Burns, Jonathan Dahlen, John Leonard, Rudolfs Balcers, Ryan Dzingel, Alex Stalock,

Incoming – Luke Kunin, Steven Lorentz, Oskar Lindblom, Nico Sturm, Markus Nutivaara

Impact of Changes – The largest change comes on the blue line with Burns being traded to Carolina. San Jose has a number of aging contracts and managed to get one off their books. Though he's not the guy he was five years ago, Burns is still effective offensively and his departure leaves the top power play unit in Erik Karlsson's hands. Karlsson, though, has had injuries plague him for years now and we could see Ryan Merkley or Mario Ferraro get extended looks on the second unit with Karlsson healthy, or the top unit if he gets injured.

The moves San Jose made, besides trading Burns, were about building depth. The team was very top-heavy in 2021-22, which is why guys like Sturm and Lindblom were brought in. They have, at times, been legitimate middle-6 players with their prior teams and that is something the Sharks desperately need. Lindblom could be a big addition as he looked like a very good two-way winger before his serious health issues. If he can be that guy again, it would go a long way to giving this team a viable second line. That could have ramifications from additional scoring to supporting the goaltending, things this team needs more of.

Ready for Full Time – William Eklund is the player fantasy owners are waiting for. He looked fine in his nine-game stint before going back to Sweden. His role, like with a lot of rookies, will determine his fantasy value. Assuming he makes the NHL roster, San Jose has three veteran forwards that are locks for top PP minutes. Eklund has a real shot at being the fourth forward and if he can manage that, alongside a second-line role, he could have real fantasy value in 2022-23. If he's stuffed on the third line/second PP unit, well, the equation changes. His performance in the exhibition games will tell us a lot about what to expect but if he plays well, the opportunities are there.

We also have to watch for Thomas Bordeleau. He signed his entry-level deal late in the year and had a cup of coffee in the NHL following his second season at Michigan. Where he could slot is another matter. Their top two centre slots are locked, Nick Bonino is still around, and they brought in Sturm. Those could be their four centres and if the team wants to leave Bordeleau in the middle, he could start the year in the AHL. Sturm has played wing in his career, though, so maybe Bordeleau slides in as the 3C with Bonino on the fourth line. He will have to play his way onto the team and even if he does, it's unlikely in a role conducive to fantasy success.

This could finally be Ryan Merkley's year, too. The team doesn't have a bevy of right-shooting blue liners and Burns's departure leaves some room. He could have sneaky fantasy value if he can wrangle secondary power play time.

Fantasy Outlook – There is a path to success here. The top line should still be excellent, Eklund having a Calder-worthy rookie season would help give them a second scoring line, and good years from Sturm and Lindblom could even give them a good, two-way third line. In that sense, there could be more than just 3-4 forwards of relevance for most fantasy leagues. But a lot has to go right, and we've all watched the NHL long enough to know that doesn't happen often.

The weakness now looks to be the blue line. Burns is gone, Jacob Middleton was traded last year, Karlsson is oft-injured, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a shell of his former self. If this defence is going to be respectable, guys like Merkley and Ferraro will have to take a big step forward. This could be a concern all year long for both sustaining offence with good transition work and making the lives of their goalies easier.

San Jose's goaltending situation has been cleared up a bit. Kaapo Kahkonen was acquired last season but James Reimer still has a year left on his deal. Mercifully, Adin Hill was traded recently and that leaves the Sharks with their NHL duo rather than an NHL trio. Reimer is a trade candidate as the season wears on so Kahkonen should end up with more starts of the two, though neither are big targets in the fantasy game.

All told, there are going to be three or four viable forwards, maybe two viable defencemen depending on league format, and that's about it. The kids will have to be great for there to be more to this team than a half-dozen viable fantasy skaters.

Fantasy Grade – C+ (Last year was C)