A battle of the sea awaits as the San Jose Sharks visit the Seattle Kraken
By Conor Power
A dismal season in the Bay Area could finally bear fruit for the San Jose Sharks tonight when they visit Climate Pledge Arena in the Emerald City. A battle of the sea will put the San Jose Sharks against the Seattle Kraken as both teams are looking for silver linings down the stretch. Neither will be in the postseason and will be looking ahead to the summer days, meaning we're getting into the final handful of games for both teams.
Turning our attention to the San Jose side, the Sharks have just three games left in their season after tonight. With a six-point gap to the Chicago Blackhawks above them, a loss tonight would seal their position at the bottom of the overall standings. It's been a tough season, but the Sharks are eyeing the silver lining- the best odds at the first overall draft pick. This could pave the way for them to select promising college talent Macklin Celebrini, adding a new superstar prospect to their pipeline.
For the players on the ice, the red-hot Lund line will look to continue growing together as Mikael Granlund guides the two young wingers. Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund have had good seasons, but since being put on either side of the Finnish center, the line has been a bright spot for the Sharks. The growth of the two youngsters is paramount to the club's successful future.
Projected Lineups
San Jose Sharks
William Eklund - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Klim Kostin - Luke Kunin - Collin Graf
Thomas Bordeleau - Jack Studnicka - Justin Bailey
Mike Hoffman - Nico Sturm - Jacob MacDonald
Mario Ferraro - Jan Rutta
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Calen Addison
Henry Thrun - Kyle Burroughs
Mackenzie Blackwood
Devin Cooley
Seattle Kraken
Andre Burakovsky - Matty Beniers - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jaden Schwartz - Shane Wright - Jordan Eberle
Eeli Tolvanen - Yanni Gourde - Brandon Tanev
Tye Kartye - Logan Morrison - Ryan Winterton
Ryker Evans - Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak - Will Borgen
Brian Dumoulin - Justin Schultz
Philipp Grubauer
Joey Daccord
Puck Drop
A 7 p.m. puck drop from Seattle will see the Sharks players look to avoid clinching last place. Fans and the front office may have a different viewpoint. Can the Sharks find a way to get a few more points in the standings before the end of this horrendous season? Only the players who take to the ice can change the answer to this question. Perhaps a win or two in the final few games would be good for the fanbase.