The additions to the San Jose Sharks’ lineup over the summer season have pressured some troublesome choices for new head coach Ryan Warsofsky heading into the 2024-25 season. Amongst these choices will probably be the place Collin Graf begins the season, whether or not that’s within the NHL or with the workforce’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Graf: An Benefit No Extra
Reportedly, an enormous a part of the explanation that the Sharks had been capable of signal Graf as an undrafted free agent was his want to play within the NHL proper out of the gate. He completed that feat final season, showing in seven video games with the Sharks on the finish of the season. Heading into the summer season, it appeared as if that might stay the case for the 2024-25 season. Graf has the power to play each middle and right-wing, which is definitely a bonus for a participant making an attempt to crack a lineup. With that being mentioned although, the Sharks added gamers who can play each ahead place which goes to pressure some younger gamers off of the opening evening roster.
Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg are undoubtedly going to be within the lineup when the Sharks take the ice towards the St. Louis Blues on opening evening, which is Oct. 10. Carl Grundstrom, Barclay Goodrow, and Ty Dellandrea aren’t essentially assured a spot, but it surely’s extremely seemingly they’re within the lineup as nicely. The addition of 5 NHL-caliber forwards was a worst-case state of affairs for a participant like Graf. Regardless of his alternative within the NHL final season, he’s prone to be on his solution to the AHL this October.
There are particular advantages to a participant like Graf spending time within the AHL, as he nonetheless has to regulate to the extreme journey schedule and physicality of the skilled recreation. He’d additionally get significantly extra ice time with the Barracuda than he would with the Sharks. Though all the celebrity and glamor within the hockey world is within the NHL, there’s definitely nothing fallacious with a participant spending time within the AHL as they get able to make the following step absolutely.
The Case for the NHL
Even if Graf is unlikely to be beginning the season on the NHL roster, a case can definitely be made for him belonging there. He didn’t look misplaced throughout his seven-game stint in teal. With that being mentioned, he wasn’t a large game-changer both, however he was an efficient participant for a struggling Sharks workforce. Undrafted free brokers aren’t anticipated to be superstars, although Graf has the potential to be a long-term position participant for the Sharks which goes to be simply as necessary in the long term contemplating they have already got names like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith coming by way of the system as nicely. These two may even seemingly take up spots within the Sharks’ lineup, and given all of the current additions it turns into straightforward to see why Graf is seen as a probable candidate to get the brief finish of the stick.
Nonetheless, permitting Graf to play on the NHL degree will include advantages. Since he’s nonetheless simply 21 years previous, he’s going to have the power to develop with the younger core that common supervisor (GM) Mike Grier is putting in. Permitting Graf to develop chemistry with the long run stars of the group just like the aforementioned Celebrini and Smith would solely profit the Sharks in the long term, as they’d be snug with each other when it comes time for the workforce to contend. Graf has additionally proven that he can dangle within the NHL, although he didn’t produce offensively at a excessive degree in his restricted stint. As soon as he’s had the chance to completely make the adjustment from the collegiate recreation to the skilled degree, he might show that he’s a way more useful asset than we’re anticipating him to be.
Associated: Sharks Are the Workforce to Watch at 2024 Rookie Faceoff
Total, Graf is a participant whose potential is a little more unknown than the common prospect. His performances with Quinnipiac within the Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation (NCAA) present that he has talent, and he held up nicely sufficient in his brief stint within the NHL to indicate that he has the power to play professionally to some extent. It appears clear that he was promised NHL recreation time through the 2023-24 season, nevertheless, the extent of Grier’s guarantees to the participant stays behind closed doorways. To date in his tenure, plainly Grier has tried to do proper by his gamers. If he promised Graf time within the NHL this season as nicely, I’d count on the Sharks’ GM to face by that as nicely.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the Sharks deal with Graf to start out the season and it’ll definitely be a storyline to observe heading into coaching camp and preseason. He’ll be on the roster for the 2024 Rookie Faceoff, and in consequence, he’ll get fairly just a few probabilities to show to administration and the teaching workers that he’s NHL-ready. Now, it’s as much as him to reap the benefits of these alternatives and carry out at a excessive degree.
