Baby Sharks galore!
But who should fans watch in the rookie showcase?
The San Jose Sharks have announced their Rookie Faceoff roster. Our first look at the 2026-27 NHL season. The tournament will take place from September 12-15.
The tournament will comprise the Sharks, the Anaheim Ducks, the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings, the Utah Mammoth, and the Vegas Knights.
This will be the first impression many Sharks prospects make this season—young guys trying to force their way onto the NHL roster.
So who should Sharks fans watch for in the tournament?
Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov
These two have already played in the NHL. Michael Misa will center one of the middle lines this season, and Igor Chernyshov has a strong case for a wing spot.
So why watch them? Well, hopefully they can dominate. These two NHLers should skate circles around their competition. They should also help their teammates. Misa setting up his linemates, Chernyshov finishing plays.
Quentin Musty
We have talked recently about Quentin Musty. He came oh so close to making the team in last season’s training camp. Now with a full season in San Jose, Musty will look to take that next step.
That step begins in this tournament. GM Mike Grier will undoubtedly be watching Musty’s two-way game. If Musty wants to make some noise, he will have to show what he has learned with the Barracuda.
Credit: San Jose Sharks-Twitter/XEric Pohlkamp and Leo Sahlin Wallenius
We talked about these two as well. It will be more difficult to showcase a defenseman’s abilities in a handful of games, however. In that limited time, though, Eric Pohlkamp will have to demonstrate where he is in his development. He should quarterback the power play, so he will have to make those limited opportunities count.
As for Leo Sahlin Wallenius, he will have to show his defensive prowess. If he makes sound defensive plays and contributes offensively, this tournament will be a success for him.
Ivar Stenberg
This will be our first look at Ivar Stenberg in teal against actual opponents. The second overall pick will look to make the NHL out of camp, but it won’t come easily.
Perhaps the plan is to line him up on Misa’s wing. If so, the Rookie Faceoff will give them extra time to develop that chemistry. If the Sharks’ future top two lines are Chernyshov-Macklin Celebrini-Will Smith and Musty-Misa-Stenberg, that will strike fear in every team in the NHL. Those are two top lines on one team.
Filip Bystedt
Filip Bystedt’s development has been fairly slow so far. With that said, he is still only 22 years old. He now has two seasons with the Barracuda under his belt. Last season was a major improvement over his first (60 points up from 31).
Now that Bystedt has established some roots in San Jose, we are starting to see some potential. He is primarily a center, but the Sharks are full with Celebrini, Misa, Alexander Wennberg, and Zack Ostapchuk. Bystedt could move to left wing, but ideally he’ll replace Wennberg after his contract expires. Watch for Bystedt to center a top two line in the tournament.
Once the Rookie Faceoff is over, training camp will commence shortly after. It seems that half the team is already in San Jose working out.
The Sharks are eager this year. And hungry. Very hungry.
