The Sharks accomplished offseason priority No. 1 Monday, with the re-signing of defenseman Erik Karlsson to an eight-year contract.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner is already rehabbing from groin surgery, and hopes to be ready for the start of next season. As for when the Sharks' regular season will begin, that has yet to be announced. But we now know the full details of San Jose's preseason slate, which features six games, all against Pacific Division opponents.
The #SJSharks announce the 2019 preseason schedule.
🗓: https://t.co/f08z8TkDBi pic.twitter.com/MXjAtNkHzp— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 17, 2019
The Sharks will play home-and-home series with each of the Ducks, Flames and Golden Knights in the preseason, beginning with a matchup against Anaheim at SAP Center on Sept. 17, and concluding with a battle in Vegas on Sept. 29.
That first game against the Golden Knights, of course, will represent the Sharks first time facing Vegas since Game 7 of their first-round playoff series this past season. Not only did San Jose erase a three-games-to-one series deficit, but they scored four goals on a single power play in the third period of Game 7 to complete the epic comeback and advance to the second round. The power play resulted from a controversial major penalty assessed to Vegas' Cody Eakin, which several Golden Knights felt ended their season prematurely.
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With six games against the Golden Knights, Ducks and Flames, there's no shortage of rival animosity within the Sharks' preseason schedule. With any luck, that should help ensure they're ready to go once the real games start.
