The San Jose Sharks Roster has been finalized and shared via all social media platforms. The San Jose Sharks are gearing up to face the St. Louis Blues on October 10th at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Throughout the last few weeks, the Sharks coaching staff have evaluated players based on their skills and overall development on the ice. Those who were cut returned to either junior or to the San Jose Barracuda to grow their skills and abilities. Some of these players were placed based on recent unexpected injuries and require time to heal.
Welcome to the future
Our Opening Night roster is here.#TheFutureIsTeal
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 7, 2024
No Backups for the Defence on the Roster
Most all rosters include a single backup forward, defenceman, and goalie in case of an injury or emergency. The Sharks have other plans. Their lineup shows that they have three extra forwards, a single backup goalie, and no one on standby for the defencemen. Since the Sharks have a two-game homestand to start their season, they will not have to look far if they need a defenceman. Yet, it makes you wonder if they will make further adjustments or if they are confident in their lineup and their players.
Rookies First Season Opener in the NHL
What we can expect is that Macklin Celebrini will be starting his NHL career on home ice alongside Will Smith. Both rookies worked hard during training camp and made a show during preseason. Celebrini took a hit into the boards on October 1st playing against the Utah Hockey Club. Celebrini left during the second period for a lower-body injury and never returned to the game. Shortly after, the Sharks announced that Celebrini’s injury was not major and he will be playing in the home opener game this evening.
Projected Line-Ups
It is projected that Will Smith will play alongside Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund on the same line. Meanwhile, Celebrini will play with Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund. Both rookies played on these lines during preseason.
Alongside the rookies, we will also see the newly traded players such as Tyler Toffoli and Cody Ceci take the ice. With Logan Couture out, Toffoli stands in as one of the veteran players in the league where he holds a Stanley Cup win under his belt and the experience of working with multiple teams during his tenure.
Toffoli’s skill level and understanding of the game will be a solid asset to the Sharks during this rebuild. Toffoli had 55 points (33 goals, and 32 assists) during the 2023-2024 season. William Eklund had a great 2023-2024 season on the Sharks. Eklund collected 45 points (16 goals and 29 assists). That point total had him placing as the third-highest player on the Sharks team.
Furthermore, Danil Gushchin had proved himself this preseason dropping five assists against the Las Vegas Knights to come out with the win. It looks as if Gushchin will be on the fourth line alongside Ty Dellandrea Nico Sturm. He will also start on the second power play line alongside Will Smith, William Eklund, Alexander Wennberg, and Henry Thrun.
Blackwood Takes His Place in the Net
Starting in the net, the Sharks have Mackenzie Blackwood. This will be the first home opener game that Blackwood will start for the Sharks. Blackwood had a .899 save percentage during the previous season, only giving up 140 goals in 44 games played. As a backup goaltender, the Sharks have Vitek Vanecek. Both goaltenders have been solid during the preseason. Vanecek had a better preseason than Blackwood. Moreover, Vanecek played in two of the preseason games and gave up three goals on 54 shots.
The St. Louis Blues Will Not Go Easy on the Sharks
The St. Louis Blues ranked 24th during the last season with 234 goals scored. They are coming in with some leading players such as Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and goaltender Jordan Binnington. The St. Louis Blues also averaged a 9.9% shooting average last season. Meanwhile, the Sharks had an 8.7% shooting average, so, give the Blues the slight advantage. The Sharks should expect the Blues to come in ready to fight all three periods.
Main Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports
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