The Sharks have announced their roster for the Rookie Faceoff, set to take place from September 12th to 14th. The roster is noticeably smaller than in previous years, but it still has some interesting names to watch out for in attendance. The full roster can be found here.
Michael Misa may be the most obvious player in attendance, but it was never a guarantee he would attend, with the possibility of potentially playing in the NCAA. His attendance all but confirms he will be with the Sharks at least through training camp, and will sign his ELC sometime before the NHL season. Rookie camp is not something NCAA prospects often attend, as the NCAA season is already around the corner at this time.
A surprising name on the list is Colin Graf. Graf has 40 NHL games under his belt, and the soon-to-be 23-year-old is likely to good for this level of tournament. His inclusion in this tournament may mean he is not a lock to be on the Sharks' roster for opening day, or it could be as simple as the Sharks needing some extra depth, and Graf was in San Jose training. Still, a good camp by Graf should earn him an opening-day shot with the Sharks regardless of his inclusion here.
Recent draft picks Haoxi Wang and Joshua Ravensbergen are players I'm going to be keeping an eye on. Both prospects possess incredible physical tools, but still require significant refinement in their game if they are to impact the Sharks down the road. Wang specifically will have an opportunity to play against the best of his age group, something that he has not had a chance to do thus far. It will be interesting to see where these prospects are after their first summer with the Sharks.
Finally, an interesting name on the list is Jake Stuart, son of former Shark Brad Stuart. Jake is expected to go to the University of Denver following this season, so a contract is unlikely. Still, it's cool seeing the Sharks give opportunities to the next generation of past Sharks stars.
While Rookie Camp still isn’t a great predictor of NHL success, it is a step up in competition for many of the young players in attendance and a good tune-up for their upcoming season. A good rookie camp, coupled with a good training camp, is vital for some of the more experienced Sharks prospects like Chernyshov, Musty, and Cagnoni to crack the Sharks' opening day roster, potentially.