Training Camp Roster Whittling Down....

The season opener approaches, and the Sharks announce a total of 8 players being re-assigned to Worcester (AHL) this week (Sharks Reduce Training Camp Roster By Three, Sharks Reduce Training Camp Roster By Five)

None of these roster reductions really surprised me, they're just talented players who need more time to develop and mature before skating in the "Big Show". However there are two rookies who are making their mark this pre-season, Torrey Mitchell and Devin Setoguchi. I was fortunate to catch both of the Rookie tournament games hosted in Anaheim a few weeks back, and was pretty impressed with both of them.

Mitchell is one of those players that may not have the size of his line mates, being listed at 5'11" and 175 lbs. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in speed and skill. In the first game of the tournament, I saw Mitchell deliver one of the prettiest goals I've ever seen. After grabbing an advantageous bounce, Mitchell split two of the Ducks defenders, cutting to the front of the net and putting a backhander right over the shoulder of Anaheim goalie Gerald Coleman. In my humble opinion he's a center with good speed and hands, and his play thus far has earned him a spot on the roster.

Setoguchi has been pretty good so far this pre-season, already notching 3 Goals in 5 games. His play has been pretty remarkable this training camp, and I firmly believe that the best is yet to come with him. He looked great in the rookie games. What impressed me the most was his ability to play both ends of the ice well. He's one of those offensively talented guys that isn't a liability in his own end. He's also playing well without the puck, a part of his game he's worked to improve (as well as size, putting some weight on his 6'0" frame) since last season's training camp. I believe he's well on his way to becoming a top six forward someday, and will make the team this season.

With all the offensive talent and depth the Sharks have this coming season, I'm incredibly curious as to where these two will fit.