Camp cuts are never easy and it looks like the San Jose Sharks they have made the final cuts to the forward group. This morning, the team placed Ryan Carpenter, Oskar Lindblom and Jacob Peterson on waivers. If the three clear, they will report to the San Jose Barracuda.
Carpenter had a good camp and stuck around longer than a lot of people expected. He will add a veteran presence to the Barracuda, who start preseason play tomorrow night.
Lindblom never quite reached the level that the Sharks were hoping for when the team signed him in 2022. With just 15 points last season, he never truly found his footing with the Sharks. While he had the opportunity to compete for a roster spot, too many young players took strides in their games and Lindblom was left on the outside looking in.
One of those younger players competing for a roster spot was Peterson. The Sharks coaching staff gave him every opportunity to show that he had taken a step forward, but it never seemed to translate on the ice. During last night’s game, Peterson was barely noticeable while playing on a fourth line alongside Nico Sturm and Kevin Labanc.
Who remains among the Sharks forwards?
With the three cuts, the Sharks are now down to 14 forwards. There are usually 13 on the roster come opening night, but with Logan Couture still not skating, it looks like the 14th player in will fill Couture’s role until the captain is ready to return.
San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng says that Couture skated today but it’s the first time he’s been on the ice since camp started.
Couture skated today, per Quinn, first time in a while.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 6, 2023
Still hard to see him being ready for opening night in less than a week, he hasn't had any training camp, but it's a huge step in the captain's recovery
Couture is doubtful for opening night and Head Coach David Quinn has insisted that the team will take care with his injury and will not rush him back until everyone is satisfied that he is ready to go.
The big takeaway with this roster is that it means Thomas Bordeleau and William Eklund will most likely both start their rookie campaigns on Oct. 12.
The other forwards include: Alexander Barabanov, Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund, Tomas Hertl, Mike Hoffman, Luke Kunin, Kevin Labanc, Givani Smith, Nico Sturm, Filip Zadina and Fabian Zetterlund.
Given who played last night, it will likely be Smith or Zetterlund sitting on opening night.
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