Despite a solid start in the AHL, the Sharks have decided that prospect Kasper Halttunen is best served playing in junior. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve loaned the winger to OHL London. The 19-year-old was the 36th overall selection back in June following a strong first junior season with the Knights, one that saw him record 61 points in 57 regular season games plus 26 more in 18 playoff contests. Halttunen played in six games in the minors with the Barracuda, collecting two goals and two assists and will now go back to a top junior program.
Sharks Rumors
Nico Sturm Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
- K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil accidentally collided in the second period of tonight’s matchup between the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the Rangers announced that Chytil wouldn’t return to the game due to an upper-body injury. Chytil was slow to get to his feet and it’s uncertain whether it’s a precautionary move given Chytil’s recent battle with concussions.
- Chytil wasn’t the only player in tonight’s game to leave the contest. Shortly before Chytil’s injury took place, the Sharks announced Nico Sturm wouldn’t return due to an upper-body injury. Sturm’s injury appears non-contact in nature which could lead to a larger concern from the Sharks. Now in his third year in San Jose, Sturm has already missed 27 games for the Sharks due to injury.
[SOURCE LINK]
Sharks May Loan Will Smith To Team USA For World Junior Championships
The United States could be getting a major boost in its quest to repeat as gold medalists for the first time in the tournament’s history. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News shared earlier that the San Jose Sharks may loan rookie forward Will Smith to Team USA for this year’s tournament.
Team USA didn’t have any player with NHL experience on their roster last year although several had already been drafted. The potential move would be similar to Matthew Poitras’ situation from last season when the Boston Bruins loaned him to Team Canada after putting 27 NHL contests under his belt.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea for Smith’s long-term development, either. He’s gotten off to an unexpectedly slow start this season, with two goals and three points in 13 games while averaging 13:46 of ice time per game. Much of this concerns how head coach Ryan Warsofsky has deployed him to start the year.
Smith has primarily played on a line next to Barclay Goodrow and Luke Kunin, with the trio combining for a dismal 23.8% xGoals% according to Moneypuck. The only line that Smith has worked particularly well with has been with Goodrow and Ty Dellandrea who’ve combined for a team-best 70.0% xGoals%. Unfortunately, they have only managed a little over 16 minutes together.
Smith would quickly become an early favorite to lead the tournament in scoring should he join Team USA. He tied for ninth in scoring during last year’s tournament with four goals and nine points over seven games while finishing the NCAA season with Boston College scoring a whopping 25 goals and 71 points in 41 contests.
After struggling out of the gates to begin his NHL career, the former-fourth overall pick of the 2023 Draft could use a confidence boost. It’ll be difficult for the Sharks to manufacture anything better for Smith than having him help his home country pursue back-to-back gold medals in the highly regarded junior tournament.
Matt Irwin Announces Retirement
Unrestricted free agent defenseman Matt Irwin is stepping away from the game, the NHLPA announced. He confirms his retirement after 10 NHL seasons and 461 appearances.
“As I reflect on my career, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have lived out my childhood dream of playing in the NHL,” Irwin said in a statement released by the players’ association. “My success would not have been possible without the support of my family, my in-laws and especially my wife, Chantel, and two kids, Beckem and Lennon. You all pushed me to be the best version of myself on and off the ice.”
“I’m fortunate to have been surrounded by the best group of teammates that I could have possibly asked for,” Irwin continued. “Each and every one of them made coming to the rink the best years of my life. I hope our paths cross somewhere down the road.”
Now 36, Irwin never played major junior hockey and instead jumped straight from the junior ’A’ BCHL to NCAA hockey with UMass. The left-shot defender spent two seasons there before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sharks in 2010, kicking off his professional career.
Irwin spent two full seasons with San Jose’s AHL affiliate, then in Worcester, Massachusetts, before receiving his first NHL recall in 2012-13. He appeared in 38 of 48 games for the Sharks during the lockout-shortened season, recording 12 points and a -1 rating while averaging 19:06 per game and finishing 19th in Calder Trophy voting. Irwin also played in all 11 of San Jose’s playoff games as he got an audition in top-pairing minutes at even strength alongside Dan Boyle.
The Victoria, British Columbia native managed to stick around as a full-time NHLer for the following two seasons in the Bay Area but steadily saw his minutes reduced. After a 2014-15 campaign that saw him record a career-high eight goals, Irwin became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Bruins.
However, Irwin only made two NHL appearances in a Boston sweater, instead spending nearly all of the 2015-16 season on assignment to AHL Providence. Understandably, he was one-and-done with the Bruins, and landed a deal with the Predators in free agency the following offseason.
It was the right choice for Irwin, who ended up playing 195 games in parts of four seasons in Nashville – the most of the six NHL franchises he appeared for. Aside from four appearances for AHL Milwaukee in 2016-17, Irwin managed to avoid being sent to the minors for the next seven years, sticking around in bottom-pairing/press box roles for the Predators, Ducks, Sabres, and Capitals.
Irwin’s last NHL games came with Washington in 2022-23. He recorded five points, a -8 rating and 36 PIMs in 61 games along with 75 blocks and 117 hits. He signed a two-way contract with the Canucks for 2023-24 but didn’t make the team, instead spending all of 2023-24 on assignment to AHL Abbotsford, where he recorded 16 points (5 G, 11 A) and a +2 rating in 65 games while serving as an alternate captain.
Irwin closes the book on his NHL career with 25 goals, 68 assists, 93 points, and a -9 rating in 461 games. He also logged 211 PIMs, 725 shots and a respectable 50.6 CF% at even strength while averaging 15:26 per game. He also appeared in 47 playoff games for the Sharks and Preds in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018, most notably playing in all 22 postseason contests as Nashville advanced to the only Stanley Cup Final in franchise history in 2017.
Irwin also logged 314 AHL appearances in parts of seven minor-league seasons, totaling 32 goals and 103 assists for 135 points. All of us at Pro Hockey Rumors extend our best wishes to Irwin in retirement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Jake Walman Still Out Day-To-Day
- According to beat reporter Max Miller, San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman will miss his fourth straight game due to an upper-body injury. The Sharks have weathered the storm without Walman with two wins in their last three games but the injury is a major buzzkill for a defenseman who recorded seven points in four games before the injury.
[SOURCE LINK]
Colorado Has Continued Interest In Mackenzie Blackwood
- Staying in Colorado — one of the most disappointing factors for the team this season has been its goaltending. Avalanche netminders have combined for a .868 SV% over 15 contests leading many pundits to believe Colorado will trade for a goaltender. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke about the issue in his latest episode of ’32 Thoughts’ and reiterated that the Avalanche have circled back on San Jose Sharks’ netminder Mackenzie Blackwood. Colorado’s interest in Blackwood, which reportedly spanned back to last season, could have been reignited by the netminder’s recent 44-save shutout against his former team last night.
[SOURCE LINK]
Snapshots: Walman, Samsonov, 4 Nations Face-Off
San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman did not join the team for warmups on Sunday night, indicating that he’ll miss a third-straight game due to team suspension and an upper-body injury, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Walman returned to top-pair line rushes at San Jose’s Sunday morning practice and was designated as a game-time decision, head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared with Max Miller of The Hockey News. Walman has nine points in 13 games – more than double the scoring of any other Sharks defender.
Despite that, the team opted for the restrained decision, and will instead return Jack Thompson to the lineup for his ninth game of the season. Thompson has four points on the year – second among Sharks defenders – and has generally looked much more the part of an everyday NHL defender. He’s served on San Jose’s second pair, while Henry Thrun is filling Walman’s top-pair spot next to Cody Ceci. Walman is traveling with the Sharks of a four-game road trip kicked off on Sunday night, and will look to instead return on Monday.
Other quick notes around the league:
- Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov has returned to the team’s practices after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury. There’s been no word on his availability for Monday night’s matchup against Carolina, but his return to practice is nonetheless exciting progress for a Golden Knights team that’s directed all of Samsonov’s minutes to starter Adin Hill. Hill has a 6-2-1 record and .881 save percentage through nine games this season, while temporary backup Akira Schmid has slotted into six AHL games and posted a .885 save percentage. Samsonov’s 3-1-1 record and .906 save percentage in five games should be enough to earn him routine starts when he’s healthy enough to return – a point that seems to be drawing close.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest Saturday Headlines segment that rosters for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off will be made public on December 4th, with Sweden and Finland’s coming early in the North American day while Canada and USA will announce theirs that evening. The event stands as the first in what will become a trend of in-season international events during non-Olympic years. It will take place from February 12th to February 20th and features the four of the five most-represented countries in the NHL, excluding Russia. Each country announced their first six players this summer – with Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Erik Karlsson, and Aleksander Barkov among the list of representatives.
Walman (Upper-Body Injury) With Sharks On Road Trip
- While he missed Thursday’s game due to an upper-body injury, Sharks defenseman Jake Walman is with the team on their road trip that begins on Sunday, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. There has been some confusion about whether Walman’s absence was initially injury-related or just being a scratch but it’s clear he isn’t fully healthy at the time being. The 28-year-old was acquired in a cap-clearing move from Detroit over the offseason and has been a big boost to San Jose’s back end. Through 13 games this season, he leads their blueline group with nine points (including eight assists, one off his career-high) and an ATOI of 22:42 so whenever he’s cleared to return, he’ll be a welcome addition to their lineup.
Jake Walman Out With Upper-Body Injury
- Defenseman Jake Walman was surprisingly listed as a healthy scratch for the San Jose Sharks’ most recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, this may not have been the full story with Max Miller of The Hockey News reporting Walman won’t play tonight due to an upper-body injury. He’s been a bright spot on the Sharks’ roster this season with nine points in 13 games while averaging 22:42 of ice time per game.
[SOURCE LINK]
Sharks Reassign Lucas Carlsson
Nov. 7: Carlsson has cleared waivers, per Friedman. He’ll head to the AHL to get his 2024-25 campaign started.
Nov. 6: The Sharks have activated defenseman Lucas Carlsson from season-opening injured reserve and subsequently placed him on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL San Jose, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Carlsson, 27, joined the Sharks in free agency on a two-year, two-way deal. The Swedish blue-liner had spent the previous three seasons in the Panthers organization, spending most of his time there on assignment to AHL Charlotte aside from an extended 40-game run on the NHL roster in 2021-22.
His NHL journey began with the Blackhawks, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2016. He spent two post-draft seasons with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League before arriving in North America, suiting up with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford.
Carlsson spent three seasons in the Blackhawks organization, recording two assists in 18 appearances before he was traded to Florida in April 2021. In total, he added 42 appearances to his career NHL tally with the Panthers, bringing his career stats to three goals and eight assists for 11 points with a +6 rating in 60 games, averaging 12:50 per contest with a 53.0 CF%.
At the minor-league level, the left-shot defender is a premier two-way threat. He led the league in goals by a defenseman in 2022-23 with 20 in 61 games, and he earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Classic last season amid a 15-goal, 39-point season in 52 contests with Charlotte that was cut short by injuries.
There could be some interest in him on the waiver wire given that offensive AHL pedigree and decent possession metrics in his brief NHL minutes. Having another year left on his contract could be a significant enough deterrent to sway away potential claimers, though.
While he’ll start the season in the minors, Carlsson will likely be among the Sharks’ chief call-up options if injuries strike the back end. He’ll be a major boon to an AHL San Jose club that’s already near the top of their division.