The San Jose Sharks have collectively cut 12 players from their training camp roster today bringing their total bodies down to 38. In an earlier article, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News broke down some of the remaining camp battles on the roster with three games remaining in the preseason.
The Sharks have a bigger question on defense with notable injuries to start the year (more on that later). Jack Thompson, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning and debuting last season, should be the odds-on-favorite for the seventh defenseman position by the end of training camp. Pashelka warns that even if Thompson represents the youngster with the most professional experience up to this point he still needs to play most nights rather than sit as a healthy scratch if he does make the roster.
- Pashelka gave a few updates on the injured members of the Sharks’ defensive core earlier today. He shares that defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Shakir Mukhamadullin skated today and are still considered day-to-day. Still, their regular season opener availability is questionable. Circumstances appear to be different between the pipes with Pashelka also sharing that Yaroslav Askarov practiced with the team “for a little bit” today. Askarov has not practiced with the team once since the start of training camp a few weeks ago and his presence on the ice is a positive development.