The San Jose Barracuda officially start the 2024-25 season tonight on the road. The Barracuda take on the Ontario Reign in the first of a back-to-back set of games. Tonight’s game starts at 6 p.m. with lots of new faces in Barracuda uniforms. The roster released by the team is out, and it’s looking good for the #thefutureisteal.
Season starts tomorrowwwww🤩 #BarracudaHockey pic.twitter.com/IjhgiHhZRQ
— SJ Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) October 11, 2024
There’s a good mix of veterans and young players on the roster. Take, for example, Justin Bailey, who will likely serve as an experienced forward to help guide the younger players. Look for Scott Sabourin and Andrew Poturalski to take on similar roles up front.
On the backend, Jimmy Schuldt will serve as a veteran presence for the up-and-coming defensemen.
They will be leaned on to lead this young group and help prepare them for the NHL. There are several players to keep an eye on this season, not just in terms of their development but also in how they could fit into the future plans of the San Jose Sharks.
With that in mind, here are some players and storylines to keep an eye on this season.
Yaroslav Askarov/Georgi Romanov
Askarov is the heir apparent to the Sharks’ net. That said, he’ll start the season in the AHL, where he will share netminding duties with Romanov. It’s the sharing part that’s the most interesting.
How much will Askarov play? The Barracuda play back-to-backs to start the season. One would guess that with Askarov starting tonight, Romanov would get the start tomorrow but maybe that’s not how the Barracuda staff want to play it. After all, Askarov didn’t get many reps in training camp.
Moving forward, what happens? Does Askarov get the bulk of the netminding duties until something changes at the NHL-level?
Also, how much will the duo challenge one another? Romanov was impressive in his first season playing in North America. Will he take another step forward with steep competition in net like Askarov?
Luca Cagnoni
It’s no surprise that the young defenseman turns up on this list. To date, Cagnoni has proven detractors wrong and had success at every level. Even though he’s considered “under-sized” for a defenseman, he’s found a way to make up for it with his offense. Cagnoni received a long, long look at Sharks training camp, and if he continues to improve, he might get a shot at the NHL at the end of this season.
That said, his first focus should be on the Barracuda. We’ll be watching to see if his 90-point season in the WHL (the best by a defenseman in 30 years) can translate into an impactful offensive season at the professional level.
Kasper Halttunen
Many scouts have said that Halttunen has one of the best shots outside of the NHL. Now, he has the opportunity to show whether or not his shot holds up against AHL goaltenders. Halttunen will factor heavily into the Barracuda power play this season, where you’ll see him sliding into the faceoff circle to one-time a pass.
All of that is a given.
What will be most interesting to see is if he’ll be able to improve upon the other aspects of his game. A power play specialist isn’t exactly what you need on a third or fourth line in the NHL. Players like that need to be responsible with the puck first. That’s something that Halttunen needs to work on.
If he improves away from the puck and at five-on-five, that will be considered a successful season for the forward, no matter how many goals he scores.
Jake Furlong
Furlong was in San Jose last spring to have surgery on his shoulder. It looks like he’s well enough to play in tonight’s game and make his debut with the Barracuda.
The arrival of the 2022 fifth-round pick has been much anticipated by Sharks fans.
Furlong made people take notice when he scored 50 points in 67 games as a defenseman with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) in 2022-23, his first season post-draft. He followed that up by donning the “C” for the Mooseheads last season and scoring with 30 points in 56 games.
Perhaps the most telling part of his improvement, however, was the fact that he was named to Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. It shows that Furlong’s defensive game has developed enough for Canada’s coaches to take notice.
Look for Furlong to continue to play a two-way game with the Barracuda. His ability to bring the puck out of his own zone or make an outlet pass could be key to the success of the Barracuda this season.
The college additions
Undrafted college players like Lucas Vanroboys, Collin Graf, Donavan Houle and Luke Grainger all joined the Sharks because they believed they would have a path to the NHL. At this moment, they’re all playing for the Barracuda, hoping to become the next call up to the team.
Of the players, keep an eye on Vanroboys and Graf. Vanroboys was noticeable in training camp this season. Meantime, Graf has played a few games with the Sharks, so he has a taste for the NHL. Graf was one of the last players left in camp before final cuts, so he likely has the inside edge. The Sharks could find use for his two-way game, especially after the trade deadline.
Until then, keep an eye on all of the college additions with the Barracuda because they could take steps forward with the ‘Cuda.
Tristen Robins/Brandon Coe
Of all the players that we’re watching on the Barracuda, Robins and Coe are two who appear to be in a make or break season. Unlike Danil Gushchin, who is currently on the Sharks roster, neither forced the coaches to make a decision in training camp. What’s worse, Coe and Robins seem to have fallen out of favor with Sharks management as more of the higher draft picks work their way into the spotlight.
Robins and Coe both dropped down Fear the Fin’s Top 25 Under 25 this season. Robins, barely made the cut and Coe only worked his way into the honorable mentions. Their fates could change with exceptional seasons with the Barracuda. Both players have the skill set to make it happen; it’s just a question of putting it all together.
