The San Jose Sharks development camp continued with a focus on defensive positioning.
Henry Thrun has eight career NHL games for the San Jose Sharks, but he recognizes that an opportunity is there for him to make an impact.
Valtteri Pulli is a big defenseman that the Sharks brought in and will be looking to make the big club out of training camp.
Henry Thrun
In his eight games in the NHL, Thrun has two assists. He was also credited with seven shots.
Thrun showed promise in a role where he could display some offensive skills. Thrun is with the "older guys group" at development camp, and that group has been working more on shooting techniques.
In the middle of the group, Thrun is seen going step by step in setting up the shot. While watching this, it felt like he was working on a golf swing.
Visually you can see Thrun make sure his hands are in the right spot, then where the puck is for loading the shot, and finally, the movement of his hands as he releases the puck.
"[We've been] working on shooting with Glenn Tucker. A guy who works out in Massachusetts, so I was familiar with him before. I've never worked with them, but it's good. It's a lot. It's very technical," Thrun said.
Thrun could be pushed into a higher offensive role with an Erik Karlsson trade looming. Making up 101 points will be a team effort.
"Gosh, I mean, 101 points, I think that's it, divide that by six or seven. That's a pretty good chunk per guy," Thrun said with a smile. "There will be someone, if he's not here, who will have to run the power play, which is a pretty good responsibility."
Thrun also discussed why he decided to sign a contract in San Jose.
"I think [it] was really attractive to me, starting with Mike [Grier] all the way down to the players here," Thrun said. "I think there's a lot of familiarity and something that I felt that could fit in and have some success. So for me, it was a no-brainer."
Thrun will look to make the team out of training camp in September.
Valtteri Pulli
At 6'6, Pulli brings some much-needed size to the San Jose Sharks' defense core.
Pulli told the media that coming to the Sharks was an easy decision.
"It was an easy decision," Pulli said. "They were really interested in me back in the winter, and when we had some discussions and the whole organization seemed great. The decision was pretty easy for me to come here."
Development camp started the day with the defensemen working on board play. Pulli is listed at 209 lbs; at 22 years old, he can still get stronger.
Pulli manhandled players consistently throughout drills.
This clip shows that Pulli manhandles fifth-round pick Brandon Svoboda multiple times. Pulli makes it look effortless. Protecting the front of the net is something the Sharks were at the bottom of the league.
Pulli also confirmed that he will play for the San Jose Barracuda if he does not make the San Jose Sharks out of training camp.
Both Thrun and Pulli are in the plans of the organization moving forward. Thrun provides a more offensive role, while Pulli can provide the steady physical defenseman style.