Hockey is (almost) back.
Tonight is the first of six games where we’ll start to get an idea of what the San Jose Sharks’ roster, as well as their competition, could look like on opening night. This preseason is particularly important for the Sharks, who — after signing Erik Karlsson to a hefty contract, off-season trades and allowing players to leave in free agency — will have several holes up front.
It’s not just the forwards who can make an impact: there’s also opportunity for a young defenseman or two, as Radim Simek is still skating in a no-contact jersey and the team traded veteran Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers over the summer.