San Jose Sharks Recall Bryan Lerg And Dylan DeMelo
The San Jose Sharks are already making good use of having their American Hockey League (AHL) right across the hall. In preparation for back-to-back games this weekend against the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, San Jose recalled forward Bryan Lerg and defenseman Dylan DeMelo from the San Jose Barracuda.
For Lerg, 29, this should be nothing new for the 5-foot-10 forward as this will be the third time that he has been recalled from the Barracuda this season in a little more than three weeks of action. I’m sure he’s thankful he hasn’t had to make the cross-country flight every time he’s been recalled or sent back to the AHL.
In four games with the Barracuda where he serves as captain, Lerg is second on the team with three goals and tied for second with four points. Meanwhile, with the Sharks, Lerg is a plus-one while averaging 9:39 of ice time per game in his three games in the NHL.
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DeMelo, 22, initially made the Sharks out of training camp, but was sent down following San Jose’s East Coast road trip and the injury to Paul Martin. With Martin out, the Sharks had a need for a left-handed defenseman, which is why Mirco Mueller was called up.
DeMelo made his NHL debut with San Jose when they faced the New York Islanders on Oct. 17. He averaged 13:37 of ice time in his two games with the Sharks this season with a minus-one rating and two penalty minutes. He will likely serve in the seventh defenseman role as he had previously.
In both cases, Lerg and DeMelo are with the team to offer any insurance should the team be hit by the injury bug once again. Also, one could feature in the lineup as the Sharks play back-to-back games, with the second coming in the altitude in Denver which always presents an issue.
Furthermore, Melker Karlsson continues his progression and recovery from a lower body injury that has kept him out of the Sharks lineup from the onset of training camp. Karlsson has been skating on-and-off with the Barracuda, appearing in just two games thus far. As Kevin Kurz of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area notes, Karlsson did skate with the Barracuda today, and I’m sure the organization would like him to play in San Jose’s game against the Ontario Reign this weekend.
When Karlsson is fully recovered, he’d offer another depth option up front for a Sharks team that can use all the help it can get at the moment.
Next: Sharks Prospects Report: Labanc Named Player of the Week