San Jose Barracuda fans thought they had seen the last of Thomas Bordeleau when he made the opening night roster for the San Jose Sharks this season. He would score his first regular season NHL goal in the second game of the season against the Colorado Avalanche (a 2-1 OT loss), but bounced up and down the lineup before being healthy scratched in game 5 vs the Nashville Predators and again in game 8 vs the Carolina Hurricanes.
Bordeleau, a second round pick in 2020, was one of the Barracuda’s best players last season, recording 41 points in 65 games, including 22 goals, good for third on the team (tied with William Eklund). Since making his NHL debut in April 17, 2022, he has a goal and 8 assists in 22 regular season games.
The Barracuda have struggled in the early part of this season, with only one win in six games, plus two overtime losses. Their most recent game was an 8-2 loss against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who were tenth in the division before the game, and had only scored 6 goals total in their previous three games.
They are at the bottom of the Pacific Division, and only the Laval Rocket and the Rochester Americans have allowed more goals. They’re 27th on the power play, and 31st on the penalty kill. Nine of Bordeleau’s 22 goals were on the power play last season, and he was second on the team in shots on goal in all situations. Getting a player like Bordeleau, who plays all situations, can only be a good thing for the team, and can hopefully right the ship before it completely tips over.
Photo Credit: Maddie Dutra
