SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner said he was hoping to see rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson in the lineup for the team’s season debut Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Plattner will not have to wait much longer to see San Jose’s prized defensive prospect, as Dickinson will make his NHL debut on Saturday when the Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks in the second game of the season for both teams.
Dickinson took rushes with Dmitry Orlov during Friday’s practice at Sharks Ice, replacing Shakir Mukhamadullin, who had two assists in just 12:45 of ice time in San Jose’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Golden Knights at SAP Center.
Dickinson, the Sharks’ top prospect on defense, and Michael Misa, who was selected second overall by the team in June, made the team’s roster out of training camp but were both healthy scratches in Thursday’s game. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky confirmed that Dickinson will play Saturday and that Misa’s debut will happen soon.
Warsofsky would not say who would come out of the lineup with Dickinson, 19, making his NHL debut.
Warsofsky did confirm, though, that goalie Yaroslav Askarov will make his season debut Saturday. Askarov on Thursday backed up Alex Nedeljkovic, who made 27 saves but also made two critical mistakes that led to the Golden Knights’ game-tying and game-winning goals.
Askarov is entering his first full season in the NHL after an impressive three years in the AHL, including last season when he went 11-9-1 with four shutouts and a .923 save percentage in 22 games. Askarov also got a taste of the NHL with the Sharks and went 4-6-2 in 12 games with a .896 save percentage.
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