The San Jose Sharks must have their 23-man active roster set by 2 p.m. PT on Monday, but many questions remain.

Pavol Regenda was the only player the Sharks placed on waivers on Sunday, leading to questions surrounding the blue line. The fate of top prospects like Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, and Jack Thompson isn’t known. Vincent Desharnais also faces uncertainty.

Unlike Dickinson and Cagnoni, both Thompson and Desharnais are waiver-eligible. If the Sharks were going to send either player down to the AHL, they would’ve placed them on waivers on Sunday.

From a pure numbers standpoint, the Sharks have too many defensemen (10) on the roster to start the regular season. Veterans like Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, and Nick Leddy will be on the opening roster. Leaving the four mentioned earlier in limbo. Shakir Mukhamadullin appears to have separated himself from the four in question with his play.

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Interestingly, neither Desharnais nor Thompson was waived. While the reasoning is unknown, potential reasons include fear of losing the player to a claim, or a possible trade is in the works.

The case to keep Desharnais on the roster is simple: he brings something no other Sharks defenseman has, size. At 6-7, Desharnais provides the team with someone who can protect the front of the net.

Desharnais’s ability to box out opposing team forwards, especially on the penalty kill, is something the Sharks shouldn’t give up. Because of that, Dickinson, Cagnoni, and Thompson’s chances of making opening night take a hit.

Cagnoni is not the tallest player (5-9), which led to him being selected in the 4th round of the 2023 NHL Draft. But his offensive output at the junior level was similar to Dickinson’s. But neither can replace what Desharnais will do for the Sharks.

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Did Cagnoni do enough to make the opening night roster?

Luca Cagnoni had another strong San Jose Sharks training camp. Although he didn’t get as much time on a top power play unit in the preseason, Cagnoni showed that he improved a lot in his own end.

Dickinson had more opportunities on a power play unit that featured top Sharks like Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, and Tyler Toffoli. Despite both having offensive prowess from the blue line, Klingberg should start the season as the PP1 QB. If Dickinson or Cagnoni make the Sharks, they could feature on the second unit.

While the lack of power play chances in training camp probably didn’t hurt Cagnoni’s chances of making the Sharks, he was never given a genuine opportunity to do what he does best: play offense.

Both players deserve praise, but Cagnoni might have the edge in NHL-ready status. Cagnoni could be a roster casualty due to the pure fact that he can be freely sent to the AHL, whereas Dickinson must be sent back to the OHL.

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Dickinson is too good for the OHL, but is he NHL-ready?

Dickinson has nothing left to prove at the junior level. His stats with the London Knights are well documented. Scoring over 90 points, leading his team offensively from the blue line.

The Sharks have given Dickinson the most opportunities of any defense prospect to make the team. He’s been paired a lot with Desharnais, which could be a tell on his potential roster placement, and has been up and down.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky admitted that fatigue for the 19-year-old might’ve played a factor in some recent preseason struggles.

“I thought Dickie was just okay. I thought he struggled a little bit moving pucks, [which is] to be expected,” Warsofsky said after the final preseason game. “The kid has been through the ringer here for three weeks with the rookie tournament, starting back, and the travel. He’ll be fine. We’ll continue to work with him. Just was a little off tonight.”

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With limited space and a lot of top talent still in the works, the Sharks must be careful not to rush prospects.

Cagnoni might not be ready for a full-time NHL role, but he could push 30-40 games regardless of where he starts the season. Dickinson would benefit from a slightly smaller number of games, but scratching him for extended periods of time to keep him in the NHL isn’t beneficial for his development.

The Sharks’ upcoming roster moves will paint a clear picture of the initial NHL roster.

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