The San Jose Sharks have assigned seven players to the San Jose Barracuda’s training camp. Forwards Lean Bergmann, Alex True, Joachim Blichfeld and Jayden Halbgewachs, defenders Ryan Merkley and Jacob Megna and goaltender Josef Korenar will start the season in the AHL.
Korenar is expected to split the season between the ‘Cuda and the Sharks’ taxi squad, sharing third-string duties with rookie Alexei Melnichuk. Blichfeld, Bergmann and True all played a few games with the big club during last season, when several Sharks forwards were injured.
Merkley, 20, was selected by the Sharks in the first round (21st overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. His final juniors season saw him traded to the London Knights, where he put up 15 goals and 61 assists (and though the stat means little, a plus-20 rating) in 60 games. Bob Boughner described his training camp as “just okay,” and he’ll start the season with the ‘Cuda.
The Sharks have also placed six players on waivers, likely for purposes of reassignment to the Barracuda or taxi squad. Forwards Kurtis Gabriel and Antti Suomela, as well as defenders Nicolas Meloche, Nick DeSimone, Trevor Carrick and Fredrik Claesson, should they clear waivers, are not likely to make the opening night rosters.
Claesson is the notable inclusion, as he signed with the Sharks only yesterday, though he was clearly a depth signing.
Opening Night rosters are due by tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern. Here’s where the Sharks’ roster stands, should all waived players be re-assigned:
2021 Sharks Roster
Forwards (18)
Sasha Chmelevski
Logan Couture
Ryan Donato
Dylan Gambrell
Noah Gregor
Fredrik Handemark
Tomas Hertl
Evander Kane
Joel Kellman
Kevin Labanc
John Leonard
Maxim Letunov
Patrick Marleau
Timo Meier
Matt Nieto
Stefan Noesen
Marcus Sorensen
Jeffrey Viel
Defenders (8)
Brent Burns
Mario Ferraro
Erik Karlsson
Nikolai Knyzhov
Jacob Middleton
Brinson Pasichnuk
Radim Simek
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Goaltenders (3)
Devan Dubnyk
Martin Jones
Alexei Melnichuk
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