According to the AHL’s transactions page, the Sharks have recalled forward James Sheppard from Worcester where they sent him on a conditioning stint last Friday following offseason surgery. Sheppard collected an assist in two weekend AHL games and could make his 2014-15 NHL season debut as early as tomorrow when the Sharks face the Bruins in Boston.
Given the current state of the Sharks’ bottom six, having Sheppard healthy is a promising development for San Jose but it’s unclear where he’ll slot in the team’s lineup. Sheppard had the most productive offensive run of his NHL career down the stretch and into the playoffs last season largely playing as the team’s third-line center but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest he struggled defensively at the position and the offense he produced was driven by percentages and is unlikely to repeat itself. At left wing prior to that, Sheppard was a great two-way forward for the Sharks but struggled to stay in the lineup due to a lack of offense.
Regardless of whether he replaces Tye McGinn on the third line or forces Chris Tierney to move over to left wing on that unit, the Sharks will take any established bottom-six NHL option they can get at this point.
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