San Jose Sharks defenseman Jack Thompson will make his team debut against the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Jack Thompson will make his team debut against the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

Thompson was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade that sent Anthony Duclair to the Eastern Conference. 

"Obviously, around the deadline, everyone's kind of thinking about it in the back of their head, but you never think it's really going to be you," Thompson said about the trade. "It kind of took me off guard, but you know, I'm really excited I'm here, and it's been a great experience so far."

Thompson had five goals and 27 assists in 46 games with Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. The defenseman had one goal and eight assists in 16 games with the San Jose Barracuda. 

"I mean, every new team you go to, it's a little bit of an adjustment at the start, and then you start to start to figure it out day by day," Thompson said about adjusting to the Barracuda. "The coaches have been great there with me. Working through video and working through their systems and talking to me a lot. I feel like I've improved a lot since I've been there, and it's been fun."

Thompson told reporters that he is best friends with Sharks prospect Ethan Cardwell. He explained that they were neighbors in Curtis, Ontario, Canada, about 45 minutes east of Toronto. 

"It's been fun to watch his game grow throughout the years," he said about Cardwell. "I played with him starting when I was seven and seeing him now is crazy. I hope he keeps continuing to grow his game."

Cardwell has had a very successful rookie season in the AHL, with 23 goals and 43 points in 69 games. 

Cardwell was also named as the team's AHL Man of the Year. 

Thomspon will be paired with Marc-Edouard Vlasic on defense against the Oilers. 

"Well, one of the things I love is he's got an alertness to him. He's always looking. He's got an idea of what you can do with the puck before he gets, and that's a huge deal in this league," Sharks head coach David Quinn said about Thompson. "You better have an idea what you're going to do with it before you get it. He's competitive. His gaps are good, and we're excited to have him."

Thompson ran the top powerplay unit with the Barracuda, and Quinn said he expects to give him some powerplay time tonight against the Oilers.

Thompson was taken in the third round (93rd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

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