Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster<\/a><\/p>\nSan Jose Has an Intriguing Young Core<\/p>\n
The Barracuda could have one of the most talented prospect groups in the AHL.<\/p>\n
Quentin Musty, Filip Bystedt and Cam Lund headline the forward group. Musty remains one of San Jose\u2019s most intriguing offensive prospects after the Sharks selected him in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He had 45 points in 61 games last season for the Barracuda.<\/p>\n
Bystedt also has significant potential. The former first-round pick brings size and skill down the middle and should have an opportunity to take on a larger role with the Barracuda. He had 60 points in 65 games last season.<\/p>\n
Lund could also become an important offensive contributor. After gaining AHL experience, another strong season could put him closer to becoming a full-time NHL option. He had 25 points in 37 games.<\/p>\n
Carson Wetsch and Andre Gasseau give San Jose additional young forwards to watch.<\/p>\n
The Barracuda\u2019s blue line may be just as intriguing. Luca Cagnoni, Nolan Allan, and Mattias H\u00e4velid give the organization several young defensemen with NHL potential. San Jose specifically identified those players as prospects expected to compete for roles with the Barracuda this season.<\/p>\n
The Sharks\u2019 Prospect Pipeline Is Getting Stronger<\/p>\n
San Jose\u2019s recent investment in young talent could make the Barracuda one of the AHL\u2019s most interesting teams to watch.<\/p>\n
The Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg second overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin later in the first round. Those players, especially Stenberg, are not necessarily expected to begin the season in the AHL, but they demonstrate how much talent San Jose has added to its system.<\/p>\n
That prospect depth should benefit the Barracuda throughout the season.<\/p>\n
Veterans Will Provide Stability<\/p>\n
While San Jose\u2019s young prospects will receive most of the attention, the Barracuda also added veteran players during the offseason.<\/p>\n
Connor Lockhart, Jordan Bax, Samuel Huo and Ryley Appelt were among the forwards signed to AHL contracts. Jake Boltmann and Thomas Messineo also give the team additional experience on defense.<\/p>\n
Those players will be important for a roster that could feature several first- and second-year professionals.<\/p>\n
The Barracuda will inevitably deal with call-ups and injuries throughout the season. Having experienced AHL players capable of stepping into larger roles should help San Jose remain competitive.<\/p>\n
Goaltending Could Be a Question<\/p>\n
Goaltending is one of the biggest areas of uncertainty heading into the season.<\/p>\n
Matt Davis, Connor Hasley and Kyle Keyser currently give San Jose three options in the crease. Davis is the youngest of the three and could have an opportunity to establish himself as the Barracuda\u2019s primary starter.<\/p>\n
The Sharks will need at least one of their goaltenders to provide consistent AHL-level play.<\/p>\n
With so much young talent in front of them, dependable goaltending could be the difference between San Jose fighting for a playoff position and missing the postseason again.<\/p>\n
A Difficult Pacific Division Awaits<\/p>\n
San Jose opens the 2026-27 season with six consecutive home games, beginning with a two-game series against San Diego on October 3 and 4. The Barracuda will play 72 games, including 36 at Tech CU Arena.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Division schedule will be demanding.<\/p>\n
San Jose faces Abbotsford, Bakersfield, Coachella Valley, Colorado, Ontario, San Diego and Tucson eight times each. The Barracuda will also play Calgary, Henderson, Texas and Chicago four times apiece.<\/p>\n
The team will face its longest road trip of the season from December 9 through December 31, a nine-game stretch that could provide an early test for the young roster.<\/p>\n
Can San Jose Return to the Playoffs?<\/p>\n
The Barracuda have the talent to make a significant jump.<\/p>\n
Musty, Bystedt, Lund, Cagnoni, and the rest of San Jose\u2019s prospects give the team plenty of upside. The addition of veteran depth should also help the younger players develop without placing too much responsibility on them immediately.<\/p>\n
The biggest question is whether that young talent can translate into consistent production.<\/p>\n
San Jose needs improved scoring, dependable goaltending, and stronger defensive play to compete with the Pacific Division\u2019s established contenders. If the prospects develop quickly, however, the Barracuda could surprise.<\/p>\n
2026-27 Prediction: San Jose Barracuda finish fifth in the Pacific Division and return to the Calder Cup Playoffs.<\/p>\n
San Jose has one of the AHL\u2019s most exciting prospect groups, and 2026-27 could be the season when that potential starts translating into wins. The Barracuda may not be ready to compete for the Calder Cup yet, but a playoff appearance would be a significant step forward for an organization building toward a brighter future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The San Jose Barracuda enter the 2026-27 AHL season with plenty of optimism surrounding the organization. San Jose…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470144,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[176789,3853,148525,3526,103159,140028,184988,3522,75543,184989,184990,40771,155704,3521,4280,3862,65313,3518,111611,184991,184992,88,97,90,89,184993],"class_list":["post-470143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-2026-27-ahl-season-preview","tag-ahl","tag-andre-gasseau","tag-cam-lund","tag-carson-wetsch","tag-connor-hasley","tag-connor-lockhart","tag-filip-bystedt","tag-ivar-stenberg","tag-jake-boltmann","tag-jordan-bax","tag-keaton-verhoeff","tag-kyle-keyser","tag-luca-cagnoni","tag-matt-davis","tag-mattias-havelid","tag-nolan-allan","tag-quentin-musty","tag-ryan-lin","tag-ryley-appelt","tag-samuel-huo","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-barracuda","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-thomas-messineo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}