Goodrow finds his mojo after demotion
After being sent down to AHL Barracuda last season, he has become an offensive catalyst
SAN JOSE >> Barclay Goodrow came into Sharks training camp buried on the depth chart behind a handful of promising forwards.
But in a season in which the Sharks are depending on their young forwards to help the team absorb the loss of Patrick Marleau, it’s Goodrow who’s earning the praise of coach Pete DeBoer by capitalizing on his opportunities.
Goodrow’s emergence follows the humbling experience of being demoted to the AHL Barracuda after his rookie season.
“When you spend two years in the American League after playing in the NHL, it opens up your eyes,” Goodrow said. “You realize that you have to bring it every single night.”
After signing an entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent out of the Ontario Hockey
League in 2014, Goodrow suited up for 60 Sharks’ games in 2014-15. He earned a roster spot by capitalizing on the team’s lack of depth at forward.
But Goodrow received a wake-up call just 12 games into his sophomore season, getting reassigned to the Barracuda by DeBoer.
“My game needed that,” Goodrow said. “I needed some time down there to figure out what kind of hockey player I was going to be, how to get better.”
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the Sharks wanted Goodrow to develop into power forward who could give them hard minutes at the bottom of the lineup. DeBoer didn’t necessarily envision Goodrow as an offensive catalyst; he wanted him to be a player opponents hated matching up against because of the physical, pesky and tenacious nature of his game.
But it took a hard lesson for the message to sink in.
After seven games with the Barracuda, Goodrow landed in coach Roy Sommer’s doghouse, demoted to his fourth line during a two-game trip to Charlotte.
The experience forced the young forward to “take a look in the mirror.”
“I had to have been under 10 minutes one of those games,” Goodrow said. “That wakes you up. I remember saying to myself, it’s not good enough what you’re doing here. You’ve got to work to get better and get your game back.”
Goodrow responded to Sommer’s message quickly, racking up 18 points over his next 14 games to earn an invitation to the AHL AllStar Classic. He finished the season second on the team in goals (20) despite playing only 57 games.
Regardless, Goodrow found himself back in the AHL for the 2016-17 season. With the arrivals of Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, Marcus Sorensen and Danny O’Regan, and Ryan Carpenter’s emergence as a two-way player, Goodrow was suddenly caught at the back of the line.
Meier, Labanc, Carpenter and Sorensen all received at least 10 games with the Sharks last winter, and Goodrow suited up for only three.
But Goodrow continued to bring his best game to the rink in the minor leagues, helping the Barracuda reach the conference finals for the first time by leading the team in goals (25) and ranking fourth in points (45).
“Obviously, you know who you’re behind and that there’s only so many spots for everyone,” Goodrow said. “But the less you think about that and just worry about playing, that’s all you can do.”
Entering a make-orbreak season, Goodrow showed up at training camp this fall in probably as good a shape as anyone in the Sharks organization. He also came in with more speed, after working on his technique and efficiency with a skating coach over the summer.
The extra work helped Goodrow leapfrog Sorensen and O’Regan to earn a spot on the Sharks’ openingnight roster.
DeBoer said that Goodrow benefitted from his extra seasoning in the minor leagues.
“He probably got here too soon and without enough competition,” the Sharks coach said, referring to Goodrow’s rookie season. “To Barclay’s credit, he went down there and handled it exactly the way he should. He didn’t pout and moan. He went down there and was a leader.”
Joe Thornton can see Goodrow’s growth after two years in the minors, as well.
“When you first come in, you’re kind of like, it’s just nice to be here. Now, it’s, I want to prove I belong here, that I can have a long career,” the Sharks’ alternate captain said.
Knowing how quickly the window of opportunity can close, Goodrow is capitalizing on every chance he gets this season. He set up the tying goal in his first game at center since minor hockey on Nov. 4 after getting scratched in 11 of the Sharks’ first 12 games.
The 24-year-old also scored on Saturday in his first game after missing two weeks with an upper-body injury, and he scored the tying goal in a comeback victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
“When you’re a borderline guy, you have to make the most of your opportunities,” Goodrow said.
“I’ve learned that you don’t know how many you’re going to get, so when you are given a chance, you’ve got to bear down and capitalize.”
• The Sharks reassigned O’Regan to the Barracuda on Friday. He recorded four points in his eight games with the Sharks.