San Jose Barracuda Kick Off Preseason Action
The San Jose Sharks have been immersed in training camp and preseason action for almost two weeks. Meanwhile, the San Jose Barracuda, the new AHL affiliate of the Sharks, have been doing the same and are ready to hit the ice and take on someone other than themselves.
The Barracuda will host the Stockton Heat, the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames, tonight at Sharks Ice in San Jose. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game is sold out as fans are excited to catch their first look at the Barracuda.
According to the Barracuda, here is the expected lineup for tonight’s contest against the Heat:
Forwards: Jonathan Parker, Adam Helewka, Nikita Jevpalovs, Greger Hanson, Petter Emanuelsson, Gary Steffes, Vincent Arseneau, Daniel Doremus, Chris Crane, Scott Timmins, Alex Gallant and Mike DiPaolo
Defensemen: Patrick McNally, David Makowski, Julius Bergman, Justin Baker, Phil Pietroniro and Danny Federico
Goaltenders: Troy Grosenick and Aaron Dell
More from San Jose Barracuda
- San Jose Sharks Sign Goaltender Andrew Shortridge to a One-Year Deal
- San Jose Sharks Reassign Dylan Gambrell to the Barracuda
- San Jose Sharks Recall Nick DeSimone and Dylan Gambrell
- San Jose Sharks Place Simek on IR, Recall Jacob Middleton
- End of the Season San Jose Sharks Prospect Perspective
There are some interesting players to watch in this one from a Sharks’ fan perspective. In the forward groupings, keep an eye on Jevpalovs. The young Latvian was a free agent signing by general manager Doug Wilson and it should be interesting to see how he develops. He lit up the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with Blainville to the tune of 49 goals and 51 assists in 64 games while being a plus-37 last season.
Obviously, it would be a stretch to expect anything close to that kind of production in his first professional season, but let’s see how he adapts with the Barracuda.
On the blue line, the most intriguing name is Bergman, San Jose’s second-round pick (46th overall) back in 2014. Bergman is a smooth skating, offensive-minded defenseman who excels at moving the puck up the ice. While he needs to get stronger, Bergman shows the kind of talent that should serve him well in his first full season with the Barracuda. Expect Bergman to log plenty of minutes this season.
Finally, the most intense battle might be in goal with Grosenick and Dell. Grosenick burst on to the scene for Sharks fans, recording a 2-0 shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes in his first career start last November. However, his season was plagued by injuries which paved the way for Dell to assume the starting role. The organization is high on Grosenick’s talent so it should be fascinating to see how the game time is split up throughout the year.
The San Jose Barracuda kick off their inaugural season on Friday, Oct. 9 when they play host to the Rockford IceHogs, top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, at SAP Center.
Next: San Jose Sharks: The Barracuda Effect