The San Jose Sharks hope their young core is ready to take the next step, while the visiting Florida Panthers look to regain the form that led to a pair of Stanley Cups when the teams meet Thursday.
The San Jose Sharks host the Florida Panthers on Thursday, with newly named 20-year-old captain Macklin Celebrini making his regular-season debut wearing the "C". Celebrini set a franchise record with 115 points last season as the rebuilding Sharks look to end a playoff drought dating back to 2018-19. San Jose also bolstered its roster by signing veteran forward Mason Marchment to a five-year contract in free agency.
The Panthers visit after opening their season Tuesday with a 1-0 overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes behind a late goal from Gustav Forsling. Florida recently welcomed back center Aleksander Barkov from knee surgery that sidelined him for all of last season, while veteran forward Brad Marchand remains out following offseason surgery.
Get the latest sports news and top stories from MySportsTab delivered straight to your inbox.
No spam. Just the latest sports news and updates.
