Sharks' NHL Rookie Faceoff domination bodes well for future

Sharks' NHL Rookie Faceoff domination bodes well for future originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s just Rookie Faceoff.

But the Sharks wiping teams off the map, like they did on Sunday, beating the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo? After a 3-2 victory, where they controlled play for 60 minutes, over Utah Hockey Club on Friday?

It has been a long time, at any level, since the Sharks have felt like a powerhouse. And maybe, just maybe, if these games are any indication, general manager Mike Grier has laid the foundation for just that.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, of course. But San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy, who’s helming this Sharks Rookie Faceoff squad, has seen plenty of losses for both the Sharks and Barracuda over the last five years.

Both San Jose squads, save the 2020-21 Barracuda, have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons.

So, for Sharks fan, it’s hard not to get excited — and it’s easy to picture this wagon rolling into SAP Center soon.

“Yeah, it's exciting," McCarthy said. "Even after development camp, you see that there's some really, really talented players in the system. It is an exciting time for the organization, and these guys should be excited too. There's opportunity.”

Doubly impressive Sunday night is that the Sharks were able to steamroll a decent Ducks squad, even without their very best player, 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who was resting.

Anaheim actually skated 13 draft picks Sunday, compared to just 10 for San Jose, though the Sharks had four first-round draft picks, Will Smith, Quentin Musty, Filip Bystedt and Sam Dickinson to the Ducks’ one, Cutter Gauthier. Anaheim did have five second-round draft picks to San Jose’s one.

Among the Sharks standouts, Musty dropped a hat trick and an assist, fourth-round draft pick Luca Cagnoni had a goal and two assists, and second-round draft pick Kasper Halttunen scored a goal and an assist.

“It’s pretty easy when you're playing with these guys,” Musty said. “Couple nice passes [from Collin Graf], another one from Smitty at the end.”

Smith knows all about being part of a wagon — last year, the 2023 fourth-overall draft pick made the NCAA Championship Game with Gauthier on Boston College.

“You saw,” Smith said of 6-foot-2 Musty, “it's legit, everything about his game. He can play that physical game, and obviously, he can put it in the back in the net.”

Dickinson also knows all about being part of a wagon — last year, he made the Memorial Cup Final with Halttunen on the London Knights.

“It's a little bit of similarities going, we've got a really good team,” Dickinson said. “It's just the way that we play, everybody buys into that system. We play the right way. We play hard. Guys out there, block shots. Guys out there, forecheck hard and that kind of stuff. It’s the little things that we do really well, that’s what makes us a wagon, or whatever you call it.”

Yes, it’s just Rookie Faceoff.

But look, isn’t that the expectations for the loaded Sharks prospects pool in this tournament? They should dominate, and it’s only a concern when they don’t.

Well, no such concern so far.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast