After playing 60 NHL games in his rookie season in 2014-15, Barclay Goodrow has played in only 17 games with the San Jose Sharks over the last two seasons. As the number of games played in the NHL has dropped each season, so too have his raw and relative possession numbers, as he’s played increasingly sheltered minutes.

In the AHL, meanwhile, Goodrow’s been a fixture with Roy Sommer’s San Jose Barracuda. He’s scored 84 points in 118 games over the last two seasons, and 20 or more goals in back-to-back campaigns. He finished second on the Barracuda with five postseason goals, and third with ten points during the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Despite the success in the AHL, Goodrow’s been surpassed in the organizational pecking order. Fellow forwards Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, Marcus Sorensen, and Ryan Carpenter all spent more time with the Sharks than he did last season, while others such as Danny O’Regan and Dylan Gambrell could pass him up as soon as this season.

Goodrow signed a two-year deal with the Sharks earlier this month, but this season is a make-or-break year for the 24-year-old. His $650,000 salary becomes fully guaranteed in 2017-18, regardless of whether he plays in the NHL or AHL.

He’ll still be in the mix for a roster spot come training camp, and his AHL scoring numbers project well for a depth winger. If he can’t secure an NHL roster spot before the beginning of the season, his next chance to do so could very well happen in another uniform. Goodrow is no longer waivers-exempt, and can be claimed by any team if he is sent down to the AHL.

A two-time 20-goal scorer in the AHL should have some interested suitors on the waiver wire, so it’s possible that not making the Sharks out of training camp would mean the end of Goodrow’s time in San Jose. That appeal doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to get claimed, either, but it’s a possibility that has to be considered.

If Goodrow doesn’t make the Sharks out of camp and goes unclaimed, he should once again be an important piece for the Barracuda. His chances to do anything more than that, though, may be few and far between moving forward.

Bio

Name: Barclay Goodrow

Age (as of 9/9/17): 24

Position: RW/LW

Shoots:  Left

Last Year’s Ranking:  8

2016-17 Team:  San Jose Barracuda (AHL)

Where he’ll (probably) be next year: San Jose Barracuda

What we like

Proven scorer at the AHL level.

What to improve on

Possession game if scoring ability does not translate.

Highlight

Goodrow assisted on Ryan Carpenter’s series-winning, shorthanded, overtime goal against the Stockton Heat in Game 5 of the Barracuda’s first round series in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Penalty killing with the season on the line, Goodrow’s shift is a reflection of the trust Sommer has in Goodrow in the AHL.