Leonard making case for a roster spot
Boughner has liked what he’s seen from UMass-Am product
John Leonard admitted that he took a quick peek at the San Jose Sharks’ depth chart before he arrived in Scottsdale, Ariz. for the start of training camp last month. Like a lot of observers, he probably noticed there may be an opening or two on the Sharks roster at right wing.
Halfway though the on-ice portion of camp, and with just over a week left before the Jan. 14 season opener, Leonard appears to be making a case to land one of those available forward spots.
Leonard, 22, was recently moved up from what may have been considered a third line role at the start of camp to the second line with center Tomas Hertl and left wing Evander Kane. That line accounted for two goals in Tuesday’s controlled scrimmage, with Leonard scoring in the slot off a pass from Kane.
“I heard good things about him from our organization, and he’s proved them right,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said Tuesday of Leonard. “He’s a very skilled, smart player. Off the ice he’s a very hard worker, on the ice as well. He’s doing good things at the start of this camp. He’s impressed a lot of people.”
With Kevin Labanc likely to start the season on the Sharks’ top line with Couture and Timo Meier, coach Bob Boughner and his staff are looking for another right winger to fill out San Jose’s top six forward group.
Ryan Donato held that spot for the first few days of camp but was moved elsewhere for Monday’s practice and was playing Tuesday with Noah Gregor and Matt Nieto.
While the Sharks could have tweaked their lineup and moved Meier or Patrick Marleau to replace Donato, and filled in with other veterans behind them, they’re giving Leonard, who had an NCAA Division I-leading 27 goals in 33 games for UMass-Amherst, a look.
“I think he’s a skilled guy that could jump in and play a top-six role, that could play some power play, that can help you offensively,” Boughner said. “We need to score more goals this year, and we’ve got to find ways to create offense. He’s got a pretty nice offensive mind.
“If he keeps progressing like this, I think he’s got a real good chance of being in that kind of a role for us.”
Certainly if Leonard is able to seize a top-six forward spot, it would not only fill one of the Sharks’ most glaring holes, but help validate general manager Doug Wilson’s belief that some of his younger players were ready for the NHL — something that didn’t happen last season.
When injuries and suspensions hit the Sharks, a thin roster was exposed, as too many players were placed in roles they simply were not ready to play.
Maybe Leonard, given his offensive prowess, can be different.
Leonard had 56 goals and 105 points in three years with the Minutemen. Even last year, without Mario Ferraro and Cale Makar on the back end, Leonard was a major reason why UMass was ranked ninth in the country in 2020 with a 21-12-2 record when the season was canceled in March.
Leonard had 15 points, including 10 goals, in his last eight college games.
“He has that unique ability to score goals,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said of Leonard earlier this year, “and that’s what will get him to the NHL.”
Boughner has been impressed with Leonard’s ability to stickhandle in traffic, something that he feels is beneficial for anyone playing with Hertl and Kane.
“To play with those guys, you’ve got to be smart and you’ve got to be able to make plays in tight,” Boughner said. “(Hertl’s) a big body and he’s going to create room for you, and Leonard’s got a history of being able to be a finisher.
“I think he complements those guys well. He could move up and down throughout your lineup, but the biggest thing for me is having a guy that can distribute pucks but also have the ability to finish in tight.”
The Sharks have two more scheduled scrimmages in camp, one on Friday and another on Sunday. After that, Leonard will find out if he’s on the team’s taxi squad, been assigned to the Barracuda or getting ready for Sharks’ season opener against the Arizona Coyotes.