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.
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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 Stanley Cup playoff first-round 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 spur an 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 divisional foes, 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.