2024 preseason (camp, media stuff)

[Hobocop]

Hard to say. There's 20 forwards in Cuda camp right now. Some of them seem like ECHL names, but I struggled to pick out 13 that were clear-cut Cuda guys.

Cuda are still missing about half their roster, it feels like. We've got preseason games tonight and Sunday, I'm hoping Halttunen plays in both to get a better read of where he's at.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Cuda are still missing about half their roster, it feels like. We've got preseason games tonight and Sunday, I'm hoping Halttunen plays in both to get a better read of where he's at.

Gushchin, Cardwell, Bordeleau are the only likely Cuda forwards up with the Sharks, no? Am I missing someone?

 

[Hodge]

Gushchin-Poturalski-Cardwell
Graf-Bystedt-Bailey
Bordeleau-White-Halttunen

Looks like a pretty solid AHL top 9 on paper.

 

[Hobocop]

Gushchin, Cardwell, Bordeleau are the only likely Cuda forwards up with the Sharks, no? Am I missing someone?

Guessing Graf. I mean, him plus those guys are a good percentage of our top 6. Plus many of the defensemen that I'm expecting in the AHL are also mostly still up in Sharks' camp (Carlsson, Muk, Thompson, Cagnoni).

I'm expecting the bottom six tonight in the Bakersfield game to be a bunch of tryouts. Put Halttunen with Poturalski or Bystedt and see what happens. Cuda camp/preseason isn't very interesting this year, the only surprises on the camp roster were a bunch of guys from Wichita that were brought in for the sake of bodies. So at least Halttunen is something to watch.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Guessing Graf. I mean, him plus those guys are a good percentage of our top 6. Plus many of the defensemen that I'm expecting in the AHL are also mostly still up in Sharks' camp (Carlsson, Muk, Thompson, Cagnoni).

I'm expecting the bottom six tonight in the Bakersfield game to be a bunch of tryouts. Put Halttunen with Poturalski or Bystedt and see what happens.

That's right, Graf is who I was missing.

Poturalski seems like he might be a good fit for Haltunen, hopefully he can make things happen and show he's ready for pro hockey.

Carlsson and Cagnoni will definitely get returned to the AHL. My guess is that Thompson starts as the Sharks' #7 until Vlasic is healthy, then he gets returned to the Cuda. Mukh will start with the Cuda once he's healthy and I assume when he gets up to game speed he'll be assessed for NHL call-up.

Assuming all these guys end up with the Cuda, what kind of lineup are you looking at? I can guess at the top-4 D being something like Schuldt-Thompson, Mukhamadullin-Carlsson, maybe? Then a rotating cast of bottom pairing D like Cagnoni/etc.

 

[Hobocop]

That's right, Graf is who I was missing.

Poturalski seems like he might be a good fit for Haltunen, hopefully he can make things happen and show he's ready for pro hockey.

Carlsson and Cagnoni will definitely get returned to the AHL. My guess is that Thompson starts as the Sharks' #7 until Vlasic is healthy, then he gets returned to the Cuda. Mukh will start with the Cuda once he's healthy and I assume when he gets up to game speed he'll be assessed for NHL call-up.

Assuming all these guys end up with the Cuda, what kind of lineup are you looking at? I can guess at the top-4 D being something like Schuldt-Thompson, Mukhamadullin-Carlsson, maybe? Then a rotating cast of bottom pairing D like Cagnoni/etc.

Yep, I think that's a good place to start:
Mukhamadullin-Carlsson
Schuldt-Thompson
Cagnoni-Frisch
Furlong, Pulli

I think both Muk and Carlsson are banged up right now (and I also think that's why Carlsson is still in Sharks camp), so Furlong can at least get a look early in the season. Schuldt-Thompson is about as natural a fit as you can get. Pulli showed a ton of improvement and I like him as a solid third pairing guy, but if Cagnoni makes it, sure seems like he gets squeezed out. Cagnoni-Frisch worked well in the preseason, I thought, though they give up size, since Frisch is the bigger of the two at 5'11".

That'd result in Hache, Guryev, Bucheler and Laroque headed to the ECHL. tbh, this is why I'm baffled Joey Keane is still in camp. How many bodies on defense do we need?

 

[gaucholoco3]

Hard to say. There's 20 forwards in Cuda camp right now. Some of them seem like ECHL names, but I struggled to pick out 13 that were clear-cut Cuda guys.

The Cuda have a lot more depth this year. I believe the Cuda typically carry more than the 23 man NHL roster limit.

I do think it will be a challenge to get all the players consistent ice time.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Yep, I think that's a good place to start:
Mukhamadullin-Carlsson
Schuldt-Thompson
Cagnoni-Frisch
Furlong, Pulli

I think both Muk and Carlsson are banged up right now (and I also think that's why Carlsson is still in Sharks camp), so Furlong can at least get a look early in the season. Schuldt-Thompson is about as natural a fit as you can get. Pulli showed a ton of improvement and I like him as a solid third pairing guy, but if Cagnoni makes it, sure seems like he gets squeezed out. Cagnoni-Frisch worked well in the preseason, I thought, though they give up size, since Frisch is the bigger of the two at 5'11".

That'd result in Hache, Guryev, Bucheler and Laroque headed to the ECHL. tbh, this is why I'm baffled Joey Keane is still in camp. How many bodies on defense do we need?

The Sharks had Cagnoni playing on the right a couple times in camp, maybe he could play with Pulli? I will say I think Pulli showed well in camp relative to what I saw from him last year.

I really want Laroque to play on the Cuda, but if he doesn't earn it, then there's not much you can do. I know you were a fan of Frisch last year, but I didn't notice him much (maybe that's a good thing).

Hache is probably ECHL bound given the glut of defensemen and his youth/inexperience.

 

[LadyStanley]

Reminder that Cuda games are on FloSports tonight and tomorrow.

Or listen on Sharks Audio Network (Cuda feed).

 

[Hobocop]

The Sharks had Cagnoni playing on the right a couple times in camp, maybe he could play with Pulli? I will say I think Pulli showed well in camp relative to what I saw from him last year.

I really want Laroque to play on the Cuda, but if he doesn't earn it, then there's not much you can do. I know you were a fan of Frisch last year, but I didn't notice him much (maybe that's a good thing).

Hache is probably ECHL bound given the glut of defensemen and his youth/inexperience.

Dunno how you feel about hockeystatcards. But this is the one for the game Cagnoni and Frisch played together this preseason, I'm just putting it here because it illustrates what I'm talking about:



Ethan Frisch plays defense. Like, that's basically all he does. Cagnoni's defensive issues look like a very real thing, so if he's in the lineup, I'd like to staple someone defensively responsible to him. Pulli's good, but putting him in for his size doesn't work for me. He doesn't play like he's the biggest guy on the ice, which has been my issue with him. Yeah, Frisch is my guy, but there's good reason I keep sticking up for him. I do hope he doesn't become a victim of the numbers game we've got going.

I had some hope for Laroque because he looked like he was moving around a lot better during the prospect tournament, but the fact that he was gone in the first round of cuts makes me think he's pretty far down on the depth chart.

 

[LadyStanley]

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