Tagged: San Jose Sharks

18Sep

Dany Heatley(51) Nurnberg Ice Tigers

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Dany-Heatley2

Anaheim Ducks‘ 14th year veteran left wing Dany Heatley(51) signed a one year deal over the summer after spending a three seasons with Minnesota Wild (two as assistant captain), 2 with San Jose Sharks, 4 with Ottawa Senators and his first three with 2000 draft team (1st round, #2 overall) Atlanta Thrashers.

He was hampered by an early groin injury at the beginning of the campaign and then had to fight to gain a roster spot on an already pretty deep team with many prospects in the wings.

When he did get in, reports have it that he looked out of step, unable to keep up and failed to connect with the score sheet in six contests.

Before Christmas for the first time ever he was put on waivers for reassignment to under performing minor league affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

The somewhat huge 6’3″ 219 lbs. forward looks a lot out of place skating in the AHL but basically seems to only have it in third gear most of the time.

He has an unimpressive 2 tallies and 5 helpers in 24 games.

Where the former two-time 50 goal scorer goes next is fully up in the air but retirement may not be out of the question for the 34-year old.

In a career 869 NHL games, he has scored an absolutely phenomenal 372 goals and 419 assists with a +38 rating and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2010 with Team Canada, pretty great stats to hang up the skates with.

Original story: 2/24-15

Four days after this article was posted he would get traded from the Ducks‘ organization to Florida Panthers and be reassigned to their minor league affiliate San Antonio Rampage.

Even though he wasn’t going to be skating more NHL games with the big club, it was easily a much happier landing place as he was on a high scoring squad in playoff contention.

His play pointed towards better surroundings as he scored 6 goals and 7 assists in 18 contests but failed to connect in three postseason match-ups.

As his 15th season of pro hockey approaches he makes the commitment to join Nurnberg Ice Tigers as the new DEL calendar is just getting started.

He should be able to fully find his scoring touch on the bigger sheets of ice and may play out a few more years overseas before deciding to move onto the next chapter post-hockey life.

25Jul

Konrad Abeltshauser(10) Chicago Wolves

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Konrad-Abeltshauser

San Jose Sharks‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#163 overall) German-born defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser(10) is expected to make a big splash, which would make sense considering he stands 6’5″ and currently weighs 212 lbs.

He’s starting his pro career with their AHL affiliate Worcester Sharks after an impressive four-year run in the QMJHL patrolling the blue line for Halifax Mooseheads.

He won the 2013 league championship in his final season of junior hockey and also went on to capture the Memorial Cup in what was thought to be an outstanding run by the team.

The 21-year old has shown a tremendous offensive upside especially when it comes to setting up goal scoring opportunities.

He finished juniors with 122 assists in 219 games and is already making his presence felt in minor league preseason play.

His 3-year entry level deal with the Sharks takes him through the 2014/2015.

Original story: 9/30-13

In his rookie campaign he would get a very respectable 6 goals and 15 assists in 57 games.

Although he seemed to establish himself as a regular on the farm team’s blue line, he somehow fell out of favor and was listed as a healthy scratch more often than even he thought possible despite putting up a career high 16 assists in 50 contests.

He was reassigned down the ladder to affiliate Allen Americans, possibly asking to be sent so he could play and got right to establishing himself as a force in the lower league.

In just 6 ECHL regular season games he scored 5 goals and 2 assists but really got to work in the playoffs, where in 25 games on the way to the 2015 Kelly Cup Championship he recorded 5 goals and 11 assists (tied for third best) with a +3 rating and 73 shots on net.

With a title in hand, he was set to enter his first restricted free agency but was dealt to St. Louis Blues for a deep draft as the Sharks seemed to be all set with the big blue liner.

The soon-to-be 23-year old was quickly signed to a one-year, two-way extension and will start 2015/2016 with his new farm team Chicago Wolves but one can almost expect the change of scenery is going to do great things for this still untapped, young d-man.

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03Jul

James Livingston(28) EC Dornbirner Bulldogs

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James-Livingston2

Originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#70 overall), 3rd year right wing James Livingston(26) signed a 3-year entry level deal by San Jose Sharks and played with their minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks for the past 2 and a half years.

He was recently picked up by Los Angeles Kings‘ organization at the trade deadline for a future draft pick, giving him a new start.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. always hard-skating digger is already making an impression with his new squad he’s already very familiar with from playing games against in the AHL, Manchester Monarchs.

In his first outing he got into a scrap late in the first period. In his second skate (on his birthday) he posted the game-winning goal and an insurance marker raising his yearly totals closer to modest career highs, which he should surpass.

At his current pace, it seems like a good prospect for the restricted free agent to get a qualifying offer to stay where he is for a complete season look.

The 24-year old has yet to appear in an NHL game but with some more hard work could be a great fourth line grinder to start.

Original story: 3/12-14

For the final year of his initial contract, he ended the season posting career high totals: 8 goals and 15 assists in 67 games but it wasn’t enough to gain interest from another club.

He would decide to take a step back and sign for a season with Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL posting a handy 13 goals and 21 assists.

Surveying the landscape the now 25-year old has decided to pursue pro hockey elsewhere and agreed to play in Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga with EC Dornbirner Bulldogs.

He should be able to increase his point totals overseas and may find renewed energy in his game.

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29Jun

Melker Karlsson(68) San Jose Sharks

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Melker-Karlsson

San Jose Sharks‘ undrafted, Swedish-born rookie center Melker Karlsson(68) signed a one-year entry level deal after playing in 4 seasons of SHL pro hockey in his homeland.

He was obviously on their radar after winning two straight league championships with Skelleftea AIK and was runner-up the previous pair of years.

The 6’1″ 181 lbs. forward is a complete spark plug style player with really quick hands and smart hockey sense.

He was reassigned to affiliate Worcester Sharks to start his first year on this side of the river and has scored 5 goals and 5 assists in 20 AHL games, while totaling a gatling gun 49 shots on net.

His tenacious play with the farm team has got the brass above wondering if he can replicate what he’s down overseas and in the minors in the show.

In his first NHL game his stat sheet was littered with goodness, skating a total of 18 shifts for 11:53 ice time, won 67% of the face offs, 1 shot on net, 1 takeaway, 1 giveaway, 1 break up, 2 hits and his first point, an assist and a +2 rating in a 5-2 win.

If injury keeps some of the regulars on reserves, the 24-year old could easily find a permanent roster spot in California and may even play himself into a full-time role regardless.

Original story: 12/9-14

After his debut performance he went pointless for the next pair of appearances but rebounded with his first multi-point effort (2 assists), followed it up with another helper and potted his first NHL goal in his 6th game giving him 1 tally and 4 assists for a hot start.

He easily never looked in the rear view mirror finishing the regular season potting 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points with a -3 rating in 53 games.

San Jose sees the quickly emerging talent of the soon-to-be 25-year old and doesn’t want to take any chances with restricted free agency approaching.

They wasted little time signing him to a 2-year one-way extension.

He will be an impressive talent in the top league for a long time to come.

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26Jun

Troy Grosenick(1) San Jose Sharks

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Troy-Grosenick2

San Jose Sharks‘ undrafted 2nd year goalie Troy Grosenick(1) is continuing his pattern of stepped up play in his sophomore campaign.

He’s in a four way tie for first place amongst AHL net minders with 7 victories in 10 starts.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. backstop put up a very decent showing in his rookie season with affiliate Worcester Sharks.

In 35 games he had an 18-14 record with a team that mostly struggled to win and a 2.62 GAA and 2.62 SV% including a pair of shutouts and 6 shootout wins.

He was on pace to start 50+ contests in the minors for 2014/2015 but with the hot start and an injury sidelining the parent club’s backup goaltender, he earned his first recall and got his first big league start.

The 25-year old that always seems to be in exactly the right spot to make saves this season was stellar in his NHL initiation, shutting down the mostly abysmal Carolina Hurricanes‘ 45 shot offensive flurry and capturing the game’s first star award in the process, along with setting a new league record for most stops in a debut.

He may be making the coast-to-coast flight many times if he can maintain his game, which will be a good thing for a player that is set to become a restricted free agent.

Original story 11/18-14

After appearing in a new career high 20 AHL games posting 20 wins and making his stellar NHL debut, he nets a new 2-year contract that is one-way for 2016/2017.

The soon-to-be 26-year old will likely be given the workload of minutes with new affiliate San Jose Barracuda in the upcoming campaign but could easily challenge for the starter job in the 2nd year of his new deal.

02Jun

Tim Kennedy(13) Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

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Tim-Kennedy

4th year center Tim Kennedy(22) has been bouncing around from team-to-team for the last couple of seasons, skating NHL and AHL with 5 different teams.

He went from New York Rangers‘ organization to Florida Panthers and has landed in Worcester with his most current deal getting him traded to San Jose.

He played one full season NHL season with Buffalo Sabres (84 regular season and playoffs games, 11 goals and 18 assists) in 2009/2010, then got waived by them after he was awarded a $1 million deal through arbitration for the next year.

Since he has played in 33 more games, all with the Panthers. 26 of the contests were this year, where he scored 1 goal and 1 assist but had a -11 plus/minus.

In 170 AHL games he has 36 goals and 100 assists.

Since arriving in Worcester he’s almost a point per game player with 3 goals, 8 assists in 12 games but is a dismal -9.

He was originally drafted by Washington Capitals in the 6th round of 2005 (#181 overall).

He’s a small-ish presence out there at 5’10” 179 lbs. but is crafty with the puck and could be a point producer in the NHL, but needs to add a bit more muscle into his game.

Original story: 2/27-12

After spending a full season in San Jose Sharks‘ system playing in another 13 games with the parent club, which netted him a pair of goals, he signed a one-year deal with Arizona Coyotes for 2013/2014 and split time in the NHL and AHL with Portland Pirates.

He skated in a career high 37 games in the show getting 2 more goals and adding 6 assists but was not retained for another run.

Coming full circle he signed for 2014/2015 with the team that selected him 9 years earlier Washington Capitals, but was reassigned early and played the entire season with their farm club Hershey Bears, where he had his second best ever point totals at 59 in 75 games.

For his 8th season, the 29-year old leaves North American hockey for a go in the KHL with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

02Apr

Taylor Fedun(43) San Jose Sharks

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Taylor-Fedun

Undrafted 4th year defenseman Taylor Fedun(43) signed a one-year, two-way contract with San Jose Sharks on the second day of free agency after spending his first three seasons in Edmonton Oilers‘ prospect system, but had to sit out the entirety of what would have been his rookie campaign with a broken femur suffered in preseason.

The versatile puck-moving blue liner posted his first NHL goal in his debut and then got another two nights later playing 4 games with Edmonton in 2013/2014, but was left unqualified when it was time to re-up despite also coming off a year with affiliate Oklahoma City Barons that gave him new career bests in goals (10), assists (28) and points (38).

He also fired a new high 190 shots on net in 65 AHL games.

The small-ish looking but listed at 6′ 200 lbs. d-man is likely on his way to earning another notch up in his helper totals, as he’s at 27 in 63 games with farm team Worcester Sharks and should eclipse that mark unless he happens to stay up with the parent club.

He had always increased his numbers in four years at Princeton University and even scored 10 goals in his senior season as team captain.

The now 26-year old but will be 27 when 2015/2016 starts is unrestricted and it’s definitely a bit of a wonder where he’ll end up next. He fits in nicely where he’s at but will that be enough to keep him around for a continued look.

He’s doing nicely in his 2nd call-up with the Sharks, receiving plenty of playing time, skating over 17 minutes in each of his first two games and even got his first big league assist in a win.

04Mar

Matt Carkner(3) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Matt-Carkner

14th year veteran defenseman Matt Carkner(3) has played in the NHL exclusively for the last 5 years. He’s played 237 games scoring 4 goals and 23 assists.

It also took him 5 seasons to crack a big league lineup through his entry level deal with San Jose Sharks. He appeared in one game with them.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick in the 1999 draft (#58 overall), the unrestricted free agent spent most of his playing days in the system with the defunct Cleveland Barons.

Currently signed through the end of this season, he’s in the last of his three-year deal with New York Islanders, but after coming off injured reserved was sent directly to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

It’s his first appearance in the minors since 2011 when he played three games on a conditioning reassignment to Binghamton Senators while under contract with Ottawa.

The big 6’4″ 226 lbs. wide body may be best remembered for his five campaigns with the Canadian nation’s capital team. He had his best offensive production with them in 2009/2010 when he got 2 goals and 9 assists and scored a triple overtime gwg in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 34-year old may be playing out his time in the AHL but could get a recall as the postseason draws nearer and the parent club needs to rest some players.

As far as continued playing time in his pro career, he’ll likely have to shift his game overseas or maybe sign a one year deal to continue to help develop prospects on a farm team.