Justin Bailey got an assist in his San Jose Sharks debut, but his value is not here to score points.

Justin Bailey got an assist in his San Jose Sharks debut, but his value is not here to score points.

Bailey's size and speed are the most prominent parts of his game. The guy can absolutely fly. 

According to NHL EDGE, Bailey had eight skating bursts of 18 MPH or higher. Ignore the average by position due to Bailey only playing one game. 

The most critical number to look at is his top speed. The fastest he skated against the Washington Capitals was 22.94 MPH. According to EDGE, the quickest burst by forwards in the NHL was 23.95 MPH by the Winnipeg Jets' Rasmus Kupari. That puts Bailey amongst the top skaters in the league.

"We saw all the things that we saw at training camp," Sharks head coach David Quinn said about Bailey. "He's a straight-line player. [There's] no BS to his game. He's got a little bit of ability to make a play as he did on that goal, and just an honest effort."

Bailey is also 6'4, making him the biggest forward on the San Jose Sharks roster. At his size, he has the keen ability to get terrific positioning while on the forecheck.

"He's got that size and reach that can really influence a shift," Quinn said.

Bailey is also playing on the second powerplay unit, something he hasn't done during his time in the NHL.

"For me, it's the first time in my career I've ever touched the powerplay. It's been a situation where in the minors, always on it, then come up, and I'm not," Bailey said after the Capitals game. "But I think I can make my presence felt at the net front and on the breakout as well with my speed pushing [the defense] back."

Bailey's assist came on the powerplay, and he will remain on the second unit against the Boston Bruins tonight. 

He will be the third-line right winger with Nico Sturm and Jacob MacDonald when the team plays five-on-five.

"There's a lot of speed on our line. [We are] making sure when we put pucks in, the quicker we can get on their D, the quicker we can turn pucks over," Bailey told THN today. "It's three pretty big bodies in front of the net, and be tough to move. We're looking to get in on the forecheck, get pucks low to high, and get to the net."

Bailey fits the style that Quinn wants the Sharks to play. Fast, physical, and hard to play against. Bailey's size and speed made him the perfect choice to enter the lineup.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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