Bordeleau, Mukhamadullin Start Road Back to Sharks With Cuda Assignment

Good news: Top San Jose Sharks prospects Thomas Bordeleau and Shakir Mukhamadullin are on the path to full recovery as they’ve been assigned to the Barracuda today.

Both suffered from unidentified lower-body injuries and missed most of the San Jose Sharks training camp.

There’s no doubt Bordeleau and Mukhamadullin will get decent ice time with the ‘Cuda as part of their conditioning loan.

But don’t expect them to have it easy.

Bordeleau and Mukhamadullin are joining an ultra-competitive, balanced roster with veterans like Andrew Poturalski and Justin Bailey and first-year pros like Luca Cagnoni that just swept the Iowa Wild on home ice.

The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate is 3-1-0-0, a far sight better than the parent club’s 0-4-2.

This might be the first time in a long while when sent-down players need the Barracuda more than the Barracuda needs them.

Which is a great thing as Bordeleau and Mukhamadullin will have to bring out their very best to stand out on John McCarthy’s team.

For both players, maybe this is the best kind of boot camp to break back into the NHL this season.

Perhaps, the clock is ticking a little faster for Bordeleau.

Last July, the Sharks re-signed the 22-year-old forward to a one-year deal. Injury-prone Bordeleau finally had a healthy summer of training but suffered a lower-body injury early in camp.

Bordeleau Has Week-To-Week Injury, May Not Be Ready for Regular Season

With 43 games and 18 points for the Sharks over the past three seasons, Bordeleau is hoping to prove himself as a full-time NHL offensive provider this year.

Once healthy and ready for the NHL action, Bordeleau can play both center or left wing where he can compete with another top prospect Danil Gushchin for playing time.

A long, rangy defenseman with a great shot and playmaking skills, Shakir Mukhamadullin is seen as a crucial piece of the San Jose Sharks’ rebuild. Last season, the 22-year-old Mukhamadullin got his first taste of the NHL and looked solid. He also had a stellar year with the Barracuda and represented San Jose at the AHL All-Star Classic at Tech CU Arena.

A month ago, the 6-foot-4 defenseman said that he got bigger and stronger over the summer, getting himself ready for the NHL.

Mukhamadullin Getting Stronger, Talks Long Friendship With Askarov

Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a chance to show that in games, as he got hurt right before the beginning of camp.

The San Jose Sharks’ defensive corps could sorely use Mukhamadullin’s two-way ability, especially his puck-moving chops.

The San Jose Barracuda are in Henderson, where they take on the Henderson Silver Knights on Wednesday and Friday. No word yet if Mukhamadullin or Bordeleau are in the line-up, but they should be playing soon enough.