Sharks make first round of roster cuts, split the roster down to two groups

The Sharks have made their first cuts of the season, cutting seven players from their camp roster. The cuts include.

Reassigned to the CHL

Max Heise - C

Teddy Mutryn - C

Josh Ravensbergen - G

Christian Kirsch - G

Assigned to Barracuda

Artem Guryev - D

John Gormley - D

Released from PTO

Jack Bar - D

Heise, Mutryn, and Ravesbergen are all 2025 draft picks and were not expected to get much of a look in camp this season. They will join their junior clubs for training camp in preparation for the CHL season. Similar to Christian Kirsch, the 2024 draftee will be playing in the OHL for the first time, having spent last year in the USHL. 

Guryev was the only player currently under contract assigned to the Barracuda. The 2021 5th round pick played exclusively in the ECHL last season and has failed to show any offense at the pro level in his first two pro seasons since graduating from the OHL. Bar and Gormley are not under contract with the Sharks. Gormley signed a deal with the Barracuda last season and is on an AHL contract. Jack Bar was released from his PTO with the Sharks.

With the trimming of the roster, the Sharks have been divided into two groups instead of three. The new groups are pretty telling. 

Split between expected NHL players and AHL players. Group A consists of 15 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders, and indicates who is currently competing for the final roster spots. Notable inclusions are Misa, Dickinson, and Musty, who have all had solid camps thus far and look like candidates to crack the opening day roster. The Sharks would need to trim this group down by two players to have a compliant roster with only Musty and Graf being waiver exempt while still having the ability to be assigned to the AHL (Misa and Dickinson would need to be sent back to junior for the season). If Musty, Misa, and Dickinson make the team, it would require at least one player to hit waivers before the season. 

On the other side, in Group B, notable exclusions from Group A are Jack Thompson and Zack Ostapchuck. Ostpachuck spent the majority of the season in the NHL last year, but it looks like he is ticketed to start with the Cuda out of camp. He is waiver-exempt so that the Sharks can assign him without issue. Thompson, on the other hand, would need to be exposed to waivers to be assigned to the AHL. The young defender split time between the AHL and NHL last season and showed some promise at the highest level. It’s looking likely that the Sharks are going to expose him to waivers, and I wouldn't be surprised if somebody took a flier on him as a 7th defenseman.

Heading into the second week of camp, the roster is shaping up to have some interesting battles over the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see how things shake out come opening night against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 9th.