SAN JOSE – Two Sharks preseason games are in the books and while some younger prospects have shown flashes in camp, time is running out for some other roster hopefuls to make an impression.

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said earlier this week he wants his final 23-man roster to have mostly taken shape by the time the team plays its final two preseason games — Sept. 26 at home against the Calgary Flames and Sept. 29 on the road vs. the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Sharks have 55 players in camp right now (Dillon Hamaliuk and Jake McGrew were both returned to junior), but further cuts are coming quick. Last season, the Sharks reduced their roster size by double digits before their second preseason game, after their third game and after their fourth game.

Here’s a projection of what the Sharks’ 23-man roster will look like Oct. 2.

Centers

LOCKS: Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Joe Thornton, Barclay Goodrow.

TRENDING UP: Antti Suomela, Manuel Wiederer, Noah Gregor, Joel Kellman.

NEEDS TO PICK IT UP: Alexander True, Maxim Letunov.

ANALYSIS: After a couple of scrimmages and preseason games, it’s starting to look like Goodrow will be the Sharks’ fourth line center to start the season. True has effectively used his size at times but lost eight of 11 draws Wednesday in Calgary, and I’m not sure he’s shown to the coaching staff that he’s ready for the NHL just yet. Suomela had a good game vs. Anaheim on Tuesday. Wiederer stayed in the mix with two goals Wednesday, but may need more time with the Barracuda at the start of the season to get his conditioning back. He also won just one of seven faceoffs. Gregor was active and noticeable in the Sharks’ two scrimmages and vs. the Ducks, but remains a longshot to make the big club out of camp. Kellman, too, could use time in the AHL. But he’s a smart hockey player, and 25 years old. if the Sharks choose to carry 14 forwards out of camp, he could be the 14th guy.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: Couture, Hertl, Thornton, Goodrow, Suomela, Kellman.

Left wing

LOCKS: Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Marcus Sorensen, Lukas Radil.

TRENDING UP: Danil Yurtaykin, Lean Bergmann.

NEEDS TO PICK IT UP: Ivan Chekhovich, Jeffrey Viel.

ANALYSIS: If Meier, Kane and Sorensen are the top three left wings, then Bergmann, at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, might be a fit on the fourth line. DeBoer noted this week, though, that his forward group isn’t strictly going to be dictated by position. He’ll dress the 12 best guys, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a fourth line of Lukas Radil, Goodrow and Melker Karlsson to start the season, even though Radil is a right shot. Yurtaykin can be a fun player to watch, but my guess is he’ll start the year in the AHL. Same with Chekhovich.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: Kane, Meier, Sorensen, Radil.

Right wing

LOCKS: Kevin Labanc, Melker Karlsson.

TRENDING UP: Jonny Brodzinski, Joachim Blichfeld, Jayden Halbgewachs.

NEEDS TO PICK IT UP: Sasha Chmelevski, Dylan Gambrell, Evan Weinger.

ANALYSIS: I don’t know if Brodzinski begins the season on Thornton’s right side, but it’s tough to imagine him not starting the season in the NHL at this point, even though he’s on a two-way deal. Blichfeld has a great shot, which he showed Tuesday, but in a perfect world, he’ll be starting the season in the AHL. He’s earned a longer look, though, as has Halbgewachs. Chmelevski hasn’t been bad so far in camp, but he hasn’t really stood out, either. Gambrell’s audition as the right wing on Kane and Hertl’s line Wednesday did not go well. Perhaps the Sharks give him another game there to correct things, or move him back into a fourth line center role. I still think he’s in position to make the team, but perhaps he has less separation from the pack than before.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: Labanc, M. Karlsson, Brodzinski, Gambrell.

Left defense

LOCKS: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brenden Dillon, Radim Simek.

TRENDING UP: Mario Ferraro, Tony Sund.

NEEDS TO PICK IT UP: Jacob Middleton.

ANALYSIS: Not sure how heavy the competition is here, especially if Simek can get in at least one preseason game and be ready for the regular season. Ferraro is an energizer bunny on the ice, and there could be a spot for him if Simek can’t go Oct. 2. Middleton hasn’t really stood out, perhaps a surprise given he got a taste of the NHL last season and entered camp squarely in the mix to be the Sharks’ sixth or seventh defensemen this season.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: Vlasic, Dillon, Simek.

Right defense

LOCKS: Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Tim Heed.

TRENDING UP: Dalton Prout.

NEEDS TO PICK IT UP: Trevor Carrick, Jeremy Roy, Nick DeSimone.

ANALYSIS: Heed had a tough night vs. the Ducks but seemed to bounce back well against the Flames in 21 minutes of ice time. DeSimone, coming off a terrific year with the Barracuda, was a -4 vs. the Flames but will likely get another shot to show what he can do. It would be a surprise to see Prout not make the team. He’d require waivers and his physicality is most definitely an asset in the eyes of the Sharks.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: E. Karlsson, Burns, Heed, Prout.

Goalies

LOCKS: Martin Jones, Aaron Dell.

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Home sweet home? Giants, visitors at Oracle Park, tie franchise record in win ANALYSIS: Not much to debate here, in my eyes. Jones will start at least two of the final four preseason games. Dell will get one more start, and that’ll be the tandem for the start of the regular season. Josef Korenar was so-so in his preseason debut Tuesday and Antoine Bibeau allowed five goals on 22 shots Wednesday.

WHO THE SHARKS KEEP: Jones, Dell.