What to Watch For Tonight: Young San Jose Sharks Trek to Calgary
The San Jose Sharks swim across the border to extinguish the light of the Calgary Flames in the Scotiabank Saddledome at 6:00 PM.
A young San Jose Sharks roster makes what could be its final dress rehearsal for Head Coach Peter DeBoer and the coaching staff. The Sharks (2-0-1) embark on their fourth game of the preseason as they take on another Pacific Division foe, the Calgary Flames.
San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson announced earlier today the recall of 14 players to the main training camp. Wilson announced last Sunday the reduction of 16 players, however many of those return to partake in tonight’s clash with the Flames (2-2-3).
#SJSharks recall 14 players to Training Camp. https://t.co/YP270ilfjk
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) September 25, 2018
Among those returning from the San Jose Barracuda for the one-day trip to Calgary, a few young prospects make their anticipated preseason debut, including center Sasha Chmelevski, left winger Jayden Halbgewachs, and defenseman Jeremy Roy.
Kevin Kurz tweeted out the projected lineup against the veteran presence of the Flames. The Sharks opt to go on the lighter side with their rookies looking to create an impact. Notably, Melker Karlsson will get his first crack to prove whether he can compete for a spot on the fourth line.
The Sharks newest member, Erik Karlsson, continues to practice with the team, however he will not be suiting up tonight. The two-time Norris Trophy winner will most likely be ready for the final pair of preseason contests with the Sharks and Flames returning to the Tank on Thursday.
The Flames have endured a long preseason journey, which began with the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games in Shenzhen and Beijing against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins took down the Flames in both matchups, winning 4-3 in the preseason-opening shootout and 3-1 thanks to two late third period goals.
The Flames traveled back to Canada for the duration of the preseason, collecting a sweep over the Vancouver Canucks and losses against the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
Finishing fifth in the Pacific Division last year with a 37-35-10 record, the Flames fell short of the playoffs for the first time since their 2015-2016 season. With the summer additions of James Neal, Noah Hanifin, and Elias Lindholm, the Flames look to add more spark on offense. Nifty forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, who have put up 50+ point seasons over the last four years, both dawn a pair of skates tonight, representing pivotal pieces on the top line and power play.
Tonight’s matchup represents a tough test for the young Sharks squad to tackle as they face off against a seasoned Flames lineup.
Jayden Halbgewachs and Sasha Chmelevski
Jayden Halbgewachs and Sasha Chmelevski have battled all preseason long. After successful showings at the Vegas Rookie Faceoff and the at the main training camp practices, the two much-hyped forwards finally get a chance to compete in tonight’s tilt with the Flames.
Halbgewachs played tremendously in the Rookie Faceoff, collecting two assists in two games over the four-day stretch in Vegas. The young left winger effectively embodies the position as a dynamic attacker, bursting with speed and unloading with a laser-like shot.
The 21-year-old native of Emerald Park, Saskatchewan gets his first test of the preseason and has some big skates to fill, seeking a leadership role within the San Jose Barracuda. Last season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, Halbgewachs recorded 70 goals and 59 assists in 72 games played, both of which set career-highs.
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Donning the #89 teal sweater, the former number of Sharks left winger Mikkel Boedker, Halbgewachs seeks to prove he can compete at the NHL level in his debut tonight.
On the other side, Sasha Chmelevski makes his preseason debut on the right wing for the San Jose Sharks. Chmelevski possesses a great hockey sense and puck-handling abilities as he is able to enter the offensive zone and create space to get clear-cut shots on goal.
From Huntington Beach, California, the 19-year-old forward has spent the last three years on the Ottawa 67’s. During the 2017-2018 season, Chmelevski posted 76 points in 68 games for the 67’s, earning the call up to the Barracuda where he tallied three goals and an assist in six games. His late surge served as a substantial force lifting San Jose to the AHL playoffs.
Chmelevski has also played at the international level, joining the U.S. National U17 and U18 Team. This allowed the Sharks’ 2017 sixth-round draft pick to toughen up to fierce competition against some of the strongest budding stars in the sport.
Look out for Chmelevski and Halbgewachs as these two dynamic power forwards skate tonight amidst the swarming young talent of the Sharks.
Special Teams Ups and Downs
The San Jose Sharks special teams have been one of the top units in the league for the past five seasons. Granted, it’s only the preseason with young guys maturing to the professional level and looking to build a reputation. However, there has been some noticeable fluctuation on the penalty kill and power play even with the veteran core present over a handful of preseason games.
The power play has been a work in progress for the last two weeks of training camp. The Sharks have to make some realignments on the man-advantage since Erik Karlsson has joined the squad.
San Jose Sharks
In the short sample size of the preseason, we haven’t seen the primary combination of Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Joe Thornton like the Sharks have been rehearsing at practices. But, we have seen the looks of the second power play group with Kane jumping down to the secondary unit.
The Sharks have yet to score a Power Play goal in ten opportunities, through the first three games. Something is not clicking. Either through bad luck or problematic formations, the Sharks have yet to light the lamp on the Power Play this preseason. The young Sharks tonight have to step up and find a way to bury the puck in the back of the net.
The San Jose Sharks have a short-handed goal this preseason, which came in the 5-4 shootout loss against the Golden Knights. Unlike the power play, the penalty kill has been solid.
San Jose maintains an 83.3% on the penalty kill. Thanks to strong goaltending and the sturdy backbone of the back-end, the Sharks have only surrendered one power play goal which came on opening night against the Ducks.
The special teams will be at work tonight as this area of expertise has room for improvement. And for any Sharks rookies looking to shine in the spotlight, a persuasive performance in odd-man situations just might elevate the eyes of the Sharks coaching staff.
Defensive Depth
The San Jose Sharks already hold one of the best defensive corps in the league with Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic standing in as high-caliber defenseman. The depth expands when you look farther down the blue line as the seventh defensive spot is up for grabs with an abundance of hopeful prospects.
There are so many names to choose from – Tim Heed, Ryan Merkley, Jeremy Roy are a few. As it stands, Heed, who primarily locked down the position in his first year with 11 points in 29 games, looks to be the favorite. However, that may not be the case.
Radim Simek shows signs he’s ready to fulfill the role as the seventh man on the blue line. The Czech defenseman notched seven goals and 20 assists in 67 games, after competing for his home country in the World Championships from 2015-2017.
Representing one of the older prospects on the blue line, the 26-year-old left-handed defenseman unleashes a heavy howitzer from the point and amps up his physicality with checking forwards into the boards. Simek is ready to make the jump to the NHL, but a minor setback with his age and short stature gives him a less-likely shot to become an elite NHL defenseman.
Ryan Merkley, the Sharks 2018 first-round draft pick has hopes of gaining a spot on the team later in the year, after some seasoning in either the AHL or back with Guelph in the Canadian Junior Leagues. Although quiet on the stat sheet, Merkley has been an aggressive defender rushing out of position to create quality scoring chances at the other end of the ice. A member of the Sharks young power play unit, the 18-year-old native of Oakville, Ontario bestows a deceptive shot and looks for the no-look pass to his off-wing.
The only trouble with Merkley is his disruptive actions and lack of maturity. The Sharks don’t want their seventh defenseman to take costly penalties in important games come the final months of the regular season. If Merkley can prove he can grow up and show more discipline to his style of play, only time can tell when his name will be of need.
Who's Going to Break Out. dark. Next
Look out for these young defensemen on the blue line tonight as they all look to bring a spark to their prominence as they battle against the Flames.