The NHL has released the schedule for the upcoming season, and the Sharks announced their schedule with a video on their social media channels. Information on all of their promotional games can be found here.
The Sharks will open the season on October 9th at home against their rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, in what will be a tough test for the Sharks to open the season against the reigning Pacific Division champions. It will be cool, however, for fans to get to see Mitch Marner in his first game with Vegas after signing an 8 year deal in a sign-and-trade this offseason. The Sharks will be hoping to get off to a good start with their young core, after struggling out of the gates for much of the last half-decade.
Outside of opening night, the schedule will pose problems not just for the Sharks but for the rest of the league as well. With the Olympics returning this year, the Sharks will be on break in February for a substantial 21 days, playing just four games in the month. With the season ending on April 16, not too far removed from the norm, the schedule is going to be jam-packed this season, which means fewer days off between games and less time to practice. This could be challenging for a young, growing team that needs a lot of development. It will be interesting to see how the Sharks and other teams navigate this season, as there will be considerable wear and tear on players. We may also see more development days for the Sharks' younger players.
In more positive news, the Sharks will be playing more games at 7 pm Local time, a move earlier from the normal 7:30 start time. Fans highly requested this, and it is a pleasant change for fans out east who won't have to stay up as late watching games this season. This is a minor change, but one that has been long overdue.
We are still far away from the NHL season, but it should be an exciting year for Sharks fans eager to see how their young players look with another offseason under their belt.