The San Jose Sharks kicked off their 29th season in the National Hockey League with training camp festivities beginning over the weekend.
Everyone remain calm. San Jose Sharks hockey is back with the start of training camp ominously starting on Friday the 13th.
Picking this particular day might not have been a coincidence considering this a team with a history of taking risks. And this season is no different for San Jose. They’ll be betting a lot on this talented yet unfinished roster heading into the 2019 – 2020 campaign.
The start of training camp always has a sense of optimism for almost every team. The fresh ice, smiling players, and general buzz surrounding the franchise never fails to stoke hope into a fan base. This should definitely be the case for a Sharks squad looking to compete in a loaded western conference again this season.
At the same time the Sharks have some questions heading into next year. The front end of the roster is going through a bit of an overhaul. This off-season San Jose lost Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi, and Gus Nyquist to free agency. Instead the front office decided to allocate their cap space to skaters such as Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, and Kevin Labanc.
Losing this much talent is a heavy burden to carry, however it provides new opportunities for players on the current roster and within the farm system to take the next step in their development at the professional level.
San Jose invited 61 players to camp but sent Mitchell Brewer, Zach Emond, Zach Gallant, Jake Gricius, Jake Lee, and Hudson Wilson to their respected junior clubs after just one day of practice. But with 55 players remaining for the Sharks there is still lots to sort through before the start of the regular season on October 2nd against the Vegas Golden Knights.