The playoffs won't happen for them until their defensive prospects start establishing themselves at the NHL level. They may give Cagnoni and/or Mukhamadullin an opportunity at some point this season but Dickinson may end up forcing himself onto the NHL roster next year the way he's playing in London. Pohlkamp is having a good season thus far in Denver and the Sharks certainly need some youth on the right side of their defense moving forward. It's tough to gauge the timeframe on it though because defensemen are notorious for needing a few seasons to find their game at the NHL level. The forward group is going along pretty well though. Celebrini, Smith, and Eklund are all dynamic young talents. Zetterlund is a little older but plays in a way that helps create a team's identity and will probably be locked up long term after this season. They're going to have guys like Bystedt, Graf, Musty, Chernyshov, and Halttunen with a few others that are under the radar currently push for opportunities too. I think the depth in youth is there up front and they've set themselves up pretty well to transition to younger players sooner rather than later if they earn it. But the blue line is still a long ways off and the likely thing that prevents them from being consistent enough to challenge for a playoff spot.
But it can change quickly if someone shows that they can be productive on the back end.
