3 Takeaways From the Sharks’ Preseason Loss to the Ducks – The Hockey Writers – San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks opened their preseason schedule with a 6-2 loss to the Ducks in Anaheim.

The Ducks opted to start their stars at home. Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe and Beckett Sennecke all cracked the lineup for a tune up. The Sharks on the other hand, or more appropriately the Barracuda, opted for a heavy AHL lineup with Sam Dickinson and Zack Ostapchuk as the only two players who had significant NHL time in 2025-26.

Ignoring the ugly final score, there were positives to take away from the Sharks performance.

Sam Dickinson Spotlight

The 20-year-old defenseman was tasked with leading the blue line against the Ducks, presenting an opportunity for Dickinson to show what he worked on in the offseason. 

Sam Dickinson, San Jose Sharks (Photo credit: LA Kings)

He used his size to win puck battles, maintained possession and demonstrated attention to detail, finding opportunities to chip the puck out of the defensive zone which killed the mounting pressure put on by the Ducks. 

Dickinson showed noticeable growth in his defensive processing. The game appears to be slowing down compared to his rookie season which had its peaks and valleys.

The blemish that stood out on his game was Anaheim’s first goal scored by LaCombe. He let Gauthier spin by him on a stretch pass leaving his defense partner Roland McKeown alone on a 2-on-1. The other goal scored on him was perfectly executed by Carlsson, catching Ty Dellandrea puck watching, giving Sennecke a perfect saucer pass for him to roof it past Eric Comrie on the fast break. 

Offensively, he had an opportunity to run the second power play unit. He did what he could, but the limited time and lack of scoring punch around him didn’t allow a ton of opportunity. While 5-on-5, Dickinson picked good spots to jump into an offensive position and didn’t pinch at inopportune times. 

The stat sheet might not show it, but he was solid considering an unfair assignment with no NHL ready help going against the Duck’s stars. The Sharks should be happy with his first two periods, given the circumstance of who was in the lineup beside him. 

What Prospects Stood Out?

Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp opened the scoring, assisted by Ethan Cardwell who fed him right in the slot, firing the puck past Ducks goalie Laurrent Brossoit’s five-hole.

The blue liner coming off a national championship with Denver University was a force on the ice, picking good spots to shoot and preventing prime scoring chances with his stick. 

On the power play, Pohlkamp looked more than competent running the man advantage. His skating put him in great spots to be fed the puck when under pressure, keeping possession in the offensive zone. He wired shots from the point that made it on net and his passes had zip, moving play efficiently. 

Cardwell also played well, driving offensive play and winning puck battles. He plays with a high energy and generally makes good decisions with the puck. 

Zack Ostapchuk, San Jose Sharks (Photo by Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ostapchuk showcased why he got an extension becoming the Sharks fourth line center for the future. He used his body to win puck battles and outworked Ducks players drawing two penalties by simply maintaining a high motor. Relentless effort, limiting mistakes and using a big body is exactly what the Sharks want from him on the fourth line. 

Sharks Lose, But That Was Expected

The Sharks held their own in the first half of the game, but eventually the NHL experience and star power on the Ducks was too much for a team parading mostly AHL players. Sennecke finished the game with a natural hat trick. 

The coaching staff’s decision to leave Dickinson on an island allowed him to get extra reps with added pressure that will help him later on. The fact that he didn’t crumble and make a lot of mistakes was encouraging for his development in 2026-27. 

Center Jimmy Huntington recorded a goal when the Ducks defense was caught napping, scoring on a breakaway where he was all alone. The group also kept fighting and effort never seemed to lack. Center Andre Gasseau even got a five-minute major for fighting in the third period, symbolic of San Jose’s sustained effort. 

The Sharks will host the Vegas Golden Knights in their next preseason game Sept. 22. Expect more NHL players to get playing time in that contest.

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