The Sharks played their preseason opener over the weekend and picked up the win in an impressive 3-0 performance against the Vegas Golden Knights. In today’s article, I'm going to be looking at my three stars from last night's game.
Alex Nedeljkovic
Nedeljkovic was rock solid in the net for the Sharks. He was calm and stayed ahead of the play. It’s one game, but Nedeljkovic already looks like a significant improvement over Georgiev last season. A low bar, but nonetheless, it should be a substantial boost to the Sharks. Nedeljkovic will likely be splitting the net with top prospect Yaroslav Askarov to start the year, and if he plays like this into the season, he could challenge for the lion's share of games this season.
Sam Dickinson
Another standout from Sunday’s game was top prospect Sam Dickinson. This was the best game I have seen Dickinson play in a Sharks uniform since being drafted last season. While he started shaky, he settled in in the 2nd period and really showed his potential on both ends of the ice. His skating was dynamic, and he used it to impact the game both defensively and offensively with timely activations. He still needs to clean up his decision-making, but that's normal for teenagers from junior leagues. If he can string more games like this one, he will be on the Sharks this season, not just for nine games but the entire season.
John Klingberg
My final standout is John Klingberg. Klingberg looked excellent both offensively on the power play, where he scored the game-winning goal. But also with his ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone. The Sharks' breakout out of their own end looked cleaner than all of last year when Klingberg was on the ice. Klingberg was brought in to improve this aspect of the Sharks, and it's paying dividends early on. While Klingberg likely won't regain his 50-point form, a healthy season for the veteran and increased utilization could lead to a bounce back for the former top-pairing defenseman.
Honorble mention: Will Smith
Finally, Will Smith, the young forward, played on the wing with Kurashev and Skinner, and was probably the most dynamic player on the ice Sunday. His skating looked faster, and he was making quicker decisions as well, creating dynamic sequences with his passing ability. The young forward surged in the 2nd half of last season, and he looked even better tonight.
Those are my standouts for the Sharks' pre-season opener. Obviously, it’s one game and the competition isn’t full-blown NHL rosters, but it was an excellent way to kick off the Sharks' season.