SAN JOSE – Newly signed Sharks prospect Cameron Lund’s skilled profession is about to get underway because the 20-year-old ahead is predicted to reach in San Jose on Sunday and begin working towards with the group early subsequent week.
Lund’s addition to the Sharks roster is intriguing, given his 6-foot-2, 195-pound body and scoring potential on the NCAA Division I stage. Nevertheless it additionally makes for a crowded ahead group in San Jose, with a handful of gamers seeking to set up themselves within the NHL and some others hoping to point out they nonetheless belong.
The Sharks have 14 forwards for the time being, with Klim Kostin and Noah Gregor anticipated to be wholesome scratches for Saturday evening’s recreation in opposition to the Boston Bruins at SAP Middle. Barring some other transactions, Lund’s arrival figures to make the competitors for ice time, no less than amongst a choose group of gamers, rather more intense.
For now, the Sharks need to give younger gamers like Lund, defenseman Luca Cagnoni, 20, and heart Zack Ostapchuk, 21, a style of the NHL whereas pending restricted free brokers like Nikolai Kovalenko, Kostin, and Gregor struggle for his or her subsequent contracts.
Different ahead prospects akin to Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov may additionally quickly arrive in San Jose, though they is perhaps extra prone to be a part of the Barracuda if their respective OHL seasons finish in time.
On the floor, no less than, it seems that youth in San Jose is being ushered in whereas others would possibly quickly be proven the door.
“This is an important time for some players in this locker room to really establish themselves,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated Saturday. “Someone’s going to get left behind, and someone’s going to continue to push forward, earn themselves an opportunity and earn themselves a job in the future.”
Lund, a right-shot heart and a second-round draft decide by the Sharks in 2022, simply completed his junior season at Northeastern with 18 objectives and 40 factors in 37 video games. His 1.08 factors per recreation common was tied for thirty first amongst all Division I gamers.
Lund may make his NHL debut as quickly as Thursday when the Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose additionally performs the New York Rangers subsequent Saturday to shut its season-long eight-game homestand.
Lund signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks after Northeastern was eradicated from the Hockey East playoffs on Thursday with a double-overtime loss to Maine within the semifinals.
Lund can also be the newest Massachusetts-born participant to formally be a part of the group, following forwards Will Smith and Collin Graf and defenseman Henry Thrun. Lund additionally performed at Cushing Academy, the place Warsofsky performed and went to highschool.
“We need more,” Smith stated, with a smile, of the rising Massachusetts contingent.
Smith has identified Lund for a couple of years and performed in opposition to him twice final season as a freshman at Boston Faculty. Lund had a hat trick in Northeastern’s 5-3 upset win over then-No. 1 Eagles in Dec. 2023 in Chestnut Hill.
Lund additionally had two objectives and three assists in three Hockey East event video games this month.
“He had a great tournament there in Hockey East,” Smith stated of Lund. “Excited to have him. Been texting with him a bit.”
Warsofsky stated Lund has turn into extra snug with who he’s as a participant.
“First year watching him, he looked a little shy and tentative, and now he’s grown into himself, which usually happens to these players when they first get drafted, but he’s come a long way,” Warsofsky stated of Lund. “Just watching his games this year, I think he’s going to fit in well. so we’re excited to work with them. Another former Cushing Academy Penguin.”
Saturday’s recreation marked the second straight time Gregor and Kostin have been scratched. Kostin performed eight of 9 video games between Feb. 27 and March 15, however Warsofsky stated the ahead has struggled to execute performs and along with his consistency.
Kostin has battled accidents this season and has seven factors in 34 video games whereas averaging 10:42 in ice time. He had 10 factors in 19 video games with the Sharks final season after he was acquired from the Detroit Crimson Wings.
“Not even game to game, but shift to shift,” Warsofsky stated of Kostin’s consistency points. “He has skill, and he’s a big kid who can skate, protect pucks, and play towards his identity a little bit more often.”
Initially Printed: March 22, 2025 at 1:18 PM PDT
