Three members of the San Jose Barracuda that should get an NHL call up this season
The San Jose Barracuda have not had a good season and are struggling in the AHL. Here are three Cuda players that deserve an NHL call up.
With the hockey season ticking towards its conclusion, it is close to ending at every level of the sport. San Jose's NHL and AHL seasons have both been forgettable. While the Sharks sit bottom of the NHL standings, the Barracuda sits at the bottom of its division in the league below. With only a portion of the organization having much to play for, we're into the time of year when the Sharks should be experimenting.
By this, the Sharks should be looking at the Barracuda and trying to find someone who can fill the gaps that are opening on this roster. We know the Sharks have nothing to lose with the players they use this year because they cannot get worse. So, are there any members of the AHL franchise who should be looked at the NHL level so we can see what is down there?
For me, there are a few. San Jose's injury issues have already opened the door for players like Shakir Mukhamadullin, Henry Thrun, Thomas Bordeleau, and Ryan Carpenter, who have all been summoned from their stay with the Cuda. All three have had success with the big club, so are there others with the Barracuda that should be called upon to have a shot at the show before this season peters out and the Sharks prepare for the draft?
Well, there are always people who will be unhappy with an organization's decisions. If they do call for some of the kids in the minors, they will be exposed to the loss that this Sharks roster is being forced to endure. If they don't call for these talented youngsters, fans will be unhappy with the decision not to give shots at this roster to those who deserve it. You cannot please everyone, but here are a few I think deserve a chance.
Ozzy Wiestblastt
Ozzy Weisblatt is where we will start. Currently playing with the Norfolk Admirals instead of the San Jose Barracuda, Weisblatt was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft, 31st overall. He was drafted with the pick the organization got from the San Jose Sharks in the Barclay Goodrow trade. He's had some struggles in his development, but the Canadian winger is still someone the organization has high hopes for if he can string all his raw tools together.
While he is only on a 17-point pace this season in the American Hockey League, Weisblatt is struggling. He's only on pace to play 50 games, but the struggles at the second-highest tier of North American hockey are too hard to ignore. He's trying to keep his head above the water. But there is a lot to like about what he could bring to the Sharks organization if given the chance for the remainder of the season.
Knowing that he will be decisive with his decisions and that he can move the puck through the neutral zone and turn defense into offense with that lightning speed, he could be a player who slots into the second line and allows the Sharks to replace the quickness they lost when Anthony Duclair was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning back at the deadline. He's not a Duclair replica, but he could help the Sharks.
He'd also get some valuable experience at the most demanding level in North American hockey. Exposing him to it and giving him a taste of what he's playing for in the AHL could reinvigorate a prospect who many have labeled a lost cause after this downseason in the AHL. However, the sporting world is loved because of its ability to produce fairytales, so you cannot definitively write someone off.
Nathan Todd
I will not lie; I'm including Nathan Todd because I love those fairytale stories I talked about with Weisblastt, but Todd deserves some consideration from the organization. At 28, he's a minor league veteran. Having played with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Manitoba Mouse, and the Belleville Senators before joining the Barracuda, he's served his time in the minors looking for a way to get into the NHL. It is the kind of season where he deserves a look.
With the Barracuda, Todd tallied 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points in 61 games. He's shown that he can dominate in a minor league. The Kemptville, Ontario native has bounced around minor league systems since the conclusion of his OHL career with the Ottawa 67s so many years ago. Three years ago, an offensive outburst in the minors with the Winnipeg Jets farm team earned him some looks from the Seattle Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St Louis Blues.
Now, he's showing himself to be a great veteran for the Barracuda and maintaining the offense he flashed as a Moose. With the Sharks needing some additional depth scoring, could it be worth calling up Todd to give him a taste of the NHL in the remainder of the season since there is nothing left for the Sharks to play for? A true professional could also be good for the youth on the roster.
Given his age, the losses that the Sharks are likely to continue enduring will not affect him the way someone younger would be affected. What Sharks fan still watching this team endure the bashings it is getting wouldn't love to see a minor league player get a shot at the NHL and see if there is anything in this player that the Sharks found in free agency.
Jack Thompson
Acquired at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Anthony Duclair to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jack Thompson is someone San Jose Sharks fans should watch. Drafted in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft by the Bolts, this is a player who could become a piece of the future for this San Jose Sharks blueline. With the issues the backend has recently had, could some NHL experience help the player and the fans?
With four assists in his eight games with the Barracuda since moving from Northern New York to the Bay Area, this player has offensive upside. Scoring five goals and 27 assists in his 46 games with the Syracuse Crunch before the trade, what he is strong at is evident. His stats were always going to slow down in San Jose because the organization was struggling at both levels. Should the Sharks be looking to give him some NHL experience?
It is a tough decision. Knowing that the player could be warped to accepting defeat in the current state of the hockey club, bringing him up may lower the expectations players should have when wearing the iconic teal jersey. However, you should always want to reward players in the minor leagues for playing well, and the way to do that with Thompson right now is to give him a look at the NHL level.
Knowing that Ty Emberson is out for the season, you could recall Thompson and use him sparingly to get him used to the demands of the best league in the world. It's a conversation that will be had by fans and management both. We will see if he gets the call between now and the end of the season. It's been a long year, and this could provide a feel-good story for the rest.