The San Jose Sharks rookie’s prepare to show off their skills in early September in the Rookie Face-off hosted by the Ducks.
After losing a bit of NHL ready talent with the departures of Joe Pavelski, Justin Braun, and Joonas Donskoi the San Jose Sharks have a few holes to plug if they want to remain competitive in the Western Conference. This means that Team Teal will likely have to look internally for reinforcements.
The void left in San Jose’s line-up is not going to be easy to fill but the young skaters in Team Teal’s farm system will get plenty of opportunities to show their mettle during training camp and the upcoming Rookie Face-Off hosted by the Anaheim Ducks.
The Sharks will be one of the six teams attending along with LA, Vegas, Anaheim, Arizona, and Colorado. The tournament will begin on September 7th and will wrap up with the final games on September 10th.
With all the questions surrounding this team the Rookie showcase is a perfect opportunity for the scouting department and coaching staff to determine how seamlessly these skaters can transition into the professional ranks.
Team Teal has one of its deepest farm systems in recent memory, so it’ll be interesting to see who separates themselves from the pack during the 3 day affair in Anaheim. The rosters have yet to get announced but it’s likely that skaters like Sasha Chmelevski, Ivan Chekhovich, Joachim Blichfeld, and Ryan Merkley will be on the ice showcasing their talent against other budding NHL prospects.
This event is often overlooked but this year’s exhibition’s could have a considerable impact on the shaping of the 2019 – 2020 roster. Sharks fans have plenty of to get excited about despite what other publications have to say about their organizational depth. Regardless of how the showcase pans out we can all take solace in the fact that it means that we’re just one step closer to the start of the regular season.