SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks prospects taking part in the upcoming Rookie Faceoff in El Segundo have a primary objective in mind – besides building momentum for the team’s main training camp next week.
“You don’t get anything for winning that, but you want to win,” Sharks forward prospect Quentin Musty said. “And all the guys in that locker room today agree that we’re going there to win.”
The Sharks’ roster, featuring first-round picks Musty, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Filip Bystedt, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, is probably the deepest and most talented they’ve had for one of these preseason events. Winning all three games at the Toyota Performance Center, starting with Friday’s date against Utah, would be a nice way to build chemistry.
Still, evaluating where everyone’s at in their development is the main objective of the executives, coaches, and scouts in attendance, as they’ll form opinions on who can potentially help the Sharks and Barracuda win games this year.
“I’m looking for habits,” Barracuda coach John McCarthy said. “I’m looking for the way they compete, and the way they approach the game in general, because it is scrambly. The rookie tournament … everybody wants to look good. Everybody comes out a million miles an hour, and there are times when the puck is a little bit of a hot potato.
“But you kind of look for the guys that have pro habits.”
Here’s a look at each player on the Sharks roster.
FORWARDS
No. 2 Will Smith: Skilled centerman figures to make the Sharks’ 23-man roster, but at 19, he will need to show he can handle the rigors of a long NHL season. He’s up to 185 pounds, which should help.
No. 12 Quentin Musty: It’s either junior hockey or the NHL for the 19-year-old Musty, who will be a player to watch after he was injured for most of his time in camp last year. But there’s also no need to rush him into the league immediately.
No. 14 Kasper Halttunen: He is bidding to be on the Barracuda’s roster this season but needs to show a more well-rounded game. Being 6-foot-3, over 200 pounds, and having a deadly shot gives him a head start.
No. 18 Filip Bystedt: First-round pick from 2022 is likely Barracuda-bound, the perfect spot for him to continue adapting to the North American game. He had seven points in eight AHL games last season.
No. 51 Collin Graf: He will compete for the last one or two forward spots available on the Sharks roster, but time in the AHL, playing bigger minutes, should help his development.
No. 56 Ethan Cardwell: Will likely start the season in the AHL but could earn a callup if he continues his upward trajectory. Led Barracuda with 23 goals last season.
No. 58 Mitchell Russell: Looks to establish himself as a full-time AHL player.
No. 62 Carson Wetsch: Sharks’ third-round pick will gain valuable experience over the next two weeks before returning to WHL.
No. 71 Macklin Celebrini: Barring something unforeseen, he will be on the Sharks’ roster to start the season. Considered …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
