New look likely for fall lineup
Second-round pick Dylan Gambrell is a solid two-way player
The Sharks added fresh faces to their organization Saturday and will also have other fresh faces in the opening night lineup when the regular season gets going in October.
The Sharks selected center Dylan Gambrell of the University of Denver in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft, the first of five picks they had at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York.
Although Gambrell, 19, has some time before he competes for an NHL roster spot, the Sharks will likely be clearing space to give other young players in the system a chance make the team out of training camp.
Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said he’ll probably let the players he picked up during the regular season who are pending unrestricted free agents — Dainius Zubrus, Nick Spaling, Roman Polak and James Reimer — head to the open market. All pending UFAs were able to begin talking to other teams Friday evening.
The Sharks also have roughly $12.1 million in cap space once the unrestricted free agency period begins July 1 to add pieces.
“So we’ll get to the development camp and see where they’re at,” Wilson said of the young players. “In the meantime, we’re looking.”
In the Sharks’ playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final, Spaling and Polak played in every game, Zubrus played in 14 of 24 games and Reimer was mainly an insurance policy for starter Martin Jones.
It seemed unlikely, though, that the Sharks were going to re-sign those players given the potential cost of retaining them and their desire to create roster spots for their younger players in the system.
Among the top young candidates who may make the team after training camp begins in September are forwards Nikolay Goldobin and Timo Meier, the Sharks’ first round picks in 2014 and 2015, respectively, recent signee Marcus Sorensen of Sweden and Barclay Goodrow, who spent the bulk of last season with the AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda.
“I think our system is really well replenished and I think there’s opportunity for young guys,” Wilson said. “The competition is something we’re really looking forward to in September.”
Wilson said he’ll likely be in the market for a backup goalie to Jones. Asked about where things stood with Aaron Dell, another UFAto-be at the start of next month who was the Barracuda’s No. 1 goalie this past season, Wilson said, “We’ve started several conversations with different players, but let me just get through today and I’ll give an update maybe next week.”
Gambrell was not drafted in 2015, but had 47 points in 41 games this past season in his freshman year at Denver. A native of Bonney Lake, Washington, Gambrell had 108 career points in 172 games over three seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in Iowa of the USHL 2012-2015.
At 6-foot and 183 pounds, Gambrell is thought to be a solid two-way player with a better than average shot. Gambrell, who turns 20 on Aug. 26, was ranked No. 67 by Central Scouting among North American skaters.
“He’s a classic center, a three-zone player,” Sharks director of scouting Tim Burke said. “A right shot. Does a lot of good things. Thought he made his team better as a young guy, which we really looked at.”
The Sharks selected center Noah Gregor with their fourth-round pick at No. 111. Gregor, listed at 5-foot11 and 175 pounds, had 73 points in 72 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League this past season. Gregor was ranked 45th among North American skaters.
The Sharks also took German center Manuel Wiederer in the fifth round at No. 150, defenseman Mark Shoemaker from the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League in the sixth round at No. 180 and winger Joachim Blichfeld out of Denmark at No. 210 in the seventh round. Shoemaker is 6-2 and 208 pounds and Blichfeld is 6-2 and 176 pounds.