The San Jose Sharks have officially begun their 2023-24 season with the start of preseason. As of right now, the Sharks have completed two preseason games, one against the Vegas Golden Knights and one against the Anaheim Ducks. Despite only two games being under their belt so far, there have been some rather telling signs, especially from the Sharks’ younger players, which has given some hope to a rather mundane-looking season.
Related: Sharks Have Few Options to Remedy Goaltending Issues
The Sharks had many young players that fans were excited to see take the ice this season, and they’ve gotten a pretty decent look at their skill level so far. However, while the rookies have been performing well, the rest of the team has needed a bit of a jolt to get going. If the assistance that the Sharks need can come from the rookies, though, the team may be in for a bit less disappointment than what many have expected.
Henry Thrun Starts His Preseason on the Right Foot
Henry Thrun joined the Sharks after it seemed he was getting nowhere in contract talks with the Ducks. In mid-February, his rights were acquired in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. After finishing his final season with Harvard, Thrun joined the Sharks for a handful of games, which resulted in him putting up two assists in eight games. However, despite it looking like he’d spend the season with the San Jose Barracuda, his preseason so far has been phenomenal.
In the first preseason game of the year, Thrun put up two goals against the Golden Knights. While an argument can be made that preseason games don’t directly translate to success in the regular season, his point-per-game stint with Harvard gave fans hope that he may become a full-time NHL player. With enough offseason practice, there is a chance that Thrun may find himself getting extended NHL time sooner rather than later.
William Eklund Shows He’s Ready for the NHL
At the end of the 2022-23 season, it seemed very likely that William Eklund was going to finally get a full season with the Sharks in 2023-24. As he’s done in years past, he began this preseason roaming the top lines. However, Eklund’s performance so far has made it seem pretty likely that his time with the Sharks will be for a lot longer than a few games here and there.
In the only game Eklund has played thus far, he has a goal. However, this goal was scored on his only shot of the entire preseason. This type of play was what many fans were expecting to see from Eklund, and it would not be surprising to see him continue to control large portions of the game throughout the regular season. At this rate, he will likely be one of the main draws for fans. That being said, his performance should hopefully elevate those around him and, hopefully, the team’s overall competitiveness as well.
The Sharks have a long season ahead of them, but the overall performance from some of their younger players has at least given some hope to the fans that there will be something to look forward to. There is a lot of preseason left, so there are lots of chances for the rest of the team to catch up. That being said, seeing the rookies perform above and beyond has at least shown that there is some level of fight still left in the Sharks. Hopefully, the rest of the team is able to find that as well.
