San Jose Sharks forward Ty Dellandrea is entering his second season with the team.
A lot is riding on this campaign for the 25-year-old. Dellandrea is in the final year of a two-year contract with an average value of $1.3 million. The former first-round pick has had to adjust his game from scorer to bottom-six forward. A transition like that isn’t always the easiest, but Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky is doing a good job of teaching many players through it.
“I worked on my skills a lot and skating,” Dellandrea said. “I think what I [really] worked on was being more poised and not going 100 miles per hour everywhere. Taking some time to see the ice and make the play.”
Dellandrea is a terrific skater, something the Sharks have been looking to add more of. He’s rotated around lines at San Jose Sharks training camp, but has constantly found himself on the penalty kill. During practice on Thursday, Dellandrea was alongside Carl Grundstrom on the penalty kill.
A matter of trust
“I want to be trusted. I think I can be a player that is out there in situations, whether to win a face-off, kill a penalty, or go against a line that is high octane, can score goals, and shut them down,” Dellandrea said. “To be a big part of the team in that sense, and have a role and be trusted.”
With the Sharks split into two groups, Dellandrea was up against the Sharks’ top power play unit. That unit featured Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, Tyler Toffoli, and William Eklund. Other top Sharks forwards like Michael Misa, Alexander Wennberg, and Jeff Skinner were in the second group.
Assessing the competition
Warsofsky has been happy with Dellandrea’s performance so far. The forward’s real competition for a spot in the lineup will likely come after the next round of cuts.
“Another guy, I thought, put a lot of work in this summer. Stronger on his feet, a little bit more protective of pucks, a little bit more against some bigger defensemen,” Warsofsky said. “When you play in that bottom-six role, you’re going up against some big bodies. He’s done a good job. Trained really hard. He’s been really good in camp, using his speed driving pucks in the net.”
Dellandrea could make his San Jose Sharks preseason debut for the 25-26 season on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
For all the coverage on the Sharks this season, read on Hockey Hot Stove and Sharks Hockey Digest.
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