SAN JOSE — As the San Jose Sharks enter the final week of training camp, only a few decisions remain when it comes to finalizing their season-opening 23-man roster.
The Sharks continued trimming down their camp number on Sunday and Monday, assigning several players, including 2022 first-round draft pick Filip Bystedt, to the Barracuda of the AHL.
Other players assigned to the AHL were forwards Kasper Halttunen and Tristen Robins, defensemen Ethan Frisch, Jake Furlong, and goalies Gabriel Carriere and Georgi Romanov.
Forward Justin Bailey and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt will be placed on waivers, the Sharks said, and Quentin Musty has been assigned to Sudbury of the OHL.
None of the moves were hugely surprising, although Bailey was someone thought to be in the mix for the 13th or 14th forward spots given his experience.
Robins, Coe, Halttunen, Musty, and Romanov were all long shots to make the Sharks’ roster out of camp, Furlong has yet to play as a professional, and the Swedish-born Bystedt is still learning the intricacies of the North American game.
The Sharks’ training camp roster now includes 38 players. San Jose has three preseason games left and might make more cuts after playing the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday at SAP Center.
Still, only a handful of competitions remain before the Sharks must set their roster by Oct. 7.
Here’s a look at where things stand at each position:
FORWARDS
LOCKS: Macklin Celebrini, Ty Dellandrea, William Eklund, Barclay Goodrow, Mikael Granlund, Carl Grundstrom, Luke Kunin, Will Smith, Nico Sturm, Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, Fabian Zetterlund.
IN THE MIX: Ethan Cardwell, Collin Graf, Danil Gushchin, Klim Kostin, Andrew Poturalski, Scott Sabourin, Givani Smith.
AHL CONTRACTS: Colin White.
INJURED RESERVE CANDIDATES: Thomas Bordeleau, Igor Chernyshov, Logan Couture.
OUTLOOK: Kostin might been on the bubble, but it appears he’s done enough to warrant a spot on the roster, and the Sharks likely do not want to risk losing him on the waiver wire. So if there are no more injuries, the competition might just come down to whether the Sharks want to keep an enforcer like Givani Smith, a more skilled player like Cardwell or Gushchin.
Cardwell’s had a good camp, impressing with his work ethic and hockey IQ. Gushchin’s preseason game against Anaheim last Thursday was the best he’s looked in a Sharks uniform. But the Sharks have also made it clear this preseason that no one should dare take liberties with Celebrini or Will Smith, and Givani Smith has no qualms about playing that enforcer role when needed.
We think the Sharks’ front office will keep Givani Smith and send down Cardwell and Gushchin, who do not require waivers. At that point, the competition will be about who can be the first player recalled from the AHL when an injury occurs.
DEFENSE
LOCKS: Matt Benning, Cody Ceci, Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Henry Thrun, Jake Walman.
IN THE MIX: Luca Cagnoni, Sam Dickinson, Jack Thompson.
AHL CONTRACT: Ethan Frisch.
INJURED RESERVE CANDIDATES: Shakir Mukhamadullin, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Lucas Carlsson.
OUTLOOK: With six roster locks and Mukhamadullin and Vlasic’s timeline for a return to game action uncertain, one roster spot appears to be available, and that competition likely comes down to Cagnoni and Thompson. There are cases to be made for both.
The 22-year-old Thompson in his third full professional season and seems to be the favorite to stick. Still, it says here that if Thompson’s with the Sharks, he needs to play and not be a healthy scratch most nights.
More time in the AHL wouldn’t be the worst thing for Thompson, but if he is head and shoulders better than his competition, then he deserves to be in the NHL, at least until Vlasic and/or Mukhamadullin are ready.
All indications are that Cagnoni will be with the Barracuda this season and that Dickinson, who has had some impressive moments, will be returning to the OHL. But we’ll see.
GOALTENDING
LOCKS: Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek.
INJURED RESERVE CANDIDATE: Yaroslav Askarov
AHL CONTRACT: Gabriel Carriere.
OUTLOOK: Askarov (lower body) hasn’t practiced with the Sharks since the start of camp and won’t anytime soon, it appears. But as a sign of progress, he should be able to skate again early this week and get some work away from the group.
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Considering the valuable time that Askarov has missed thus far, it would be a surprise to see him start the year on the Sharks roster. Grier said in August, when he acquired Askarov, that while the Sharks might carry three goalies, there was also an understanding with the 6-3 Russians and his agent that he might have to start the year in the AHL.
Beyond that, Blackwood and Vanecek might form a No. 1 and 1A tandem to start the year. Who starts on Opening Night against the Blues on Oct. 10 remains a mystery, but Blackwood, given he was the Sharks’ No. 1 last season, likely has the inside track to that honor.
