The San Jose Sharks Rookie Camp schedule & roster was released earlier today. The two rosters released today combined list all the players invited to camp, but only the rookies will head to Colorado. Confusing? Here is the breakdown.
The San Jose Sharks Rookie Camp – Rookie Roster
The the majority of players on the rookie roster were also at the Sharks summer development camp. These players will both make the majority of skaters in rookie camp and head to Westminster, CO from September 17-19 for the Rookie Showcase. The Colorado Avalanche are hosting the Sharks and Anaheim Ducks rookies in a three-day round robin.
Players that are highly likely to get a long look at camp are Timo Meier, the Sharks first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and speedy winger Marcus Sorensen. The two players are likely duking it out for a spot with the big club, and both will look to impress ahead of the main camp.
The next wave of Sharks prospects headed to the AHL will be out in Colorado. The forwards feature the talents of Kevin Labanc, Danny O’Regan, Rourke Chartier, Adam Helewka, and Colin Blackwell. 2016 draft picks Noah Gregor, Joachim Blichfeld, Manuel Wiederer, and Mark Shoemaker are also listed on the roster.
Of note is the return of Tyler Nother, a tryout defenseman who impressed at the Sharks Summer Development Camp. Nother, who went undrafted last summer, began the 2016-17 campaign for the Windsor Spitfires playing alongside Montreal Canadiens first round pick Mikhail Sergachev. He stood out at the Sharks Development Camp, and his return means others took note as well.
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Other defensemen invited to rookie camp on a tryout is Jason Fram, who was a teammate of Adam Helewka’s when the two played in the WHL for the Spokane Chiefs. Fram played over 300 games for the Chiefs, recording 187 points over five seasons.
The San Jose Sharks Rookie Camp – “U50” Roster
The Sharks also released the “U50” roster, which features players with less than 50 games of NHL experience. These players will also be taking part in the Rookie Camp, but not head to Colorado for the tournament.
Unsurprisingly, the roster includes Nikolay Goldobin, Aaron Dell and Dylan DeMelo. The U50 roster also lists Tim Heed, who has zero games of NHL experience and missed the Sharks development camp due to a wrist injury. While Heed, 25, has no NHL experience, his 191 games in the Swedish Hockey League certainly undermines any claims of rookie status when it comes to professional hockey. Mirco Mueller, the 2014 first-round draft pick of the Sharks, will not be attending the rookie camp in any capacity.
Keeping Heed in San Jose could be the Sharks are allowing the repaired wrist more time to heal. His inclusion in the U50 roster will mean fans will likely have to wait until the San Jose Barracuda exhibition game versus the Tuscon Roadrunners on October 6 to get a glimpse of the Swedish offensive defenseman who was one of three SHL players to join the Sharks this offseason.
The Sharks Rookie Camp opens on September 15. The main training camp begins on September 23.
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