National Hockey League training camps and preseason games are the ultimate proving ground for young players.
With that in mind, defenseman Wiley Sherman is more than ready to make his NHL debut as the Bruins’ domestic split squad plays its second preseason game tonight in Washington, D.C., and he’s just soaking in his first professional experience with the organization that drafted him with its fifth-round selection back in 2013.
“It’s really exciting,” Sherman, a Greenwich, Conn., native who played alongside B’s forward Ryan Donato during his four-year career at Harvard, said of the opportunity in front of him. “I’m looking forward to tonight, finally getting a chance to play and show what I’m able to do.”
Few people can rival 41-year-old B’s captain Zdeno Chara in terms of size, but Sherman is probably as close as they come. It’s easy to see ― at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds ― that size is, too, his biggest asset on the ice, so getting a personal look at the team’s monster elder statesman has been an opportunity to relish inside an even bigger opportunity.
“Every time he goes in drills and just throughout practice, I always observe him and see what I can learn from him,” Sherman said of Chara. “There’s obviously a ton. Just his stick work, his first pass, he's really smart in the defensive zone making small plays.”
Assistant coach Joe Sacco is excited to see what Sherman can do in his first test of NHL action, especially as Washington’s roster looks to include more regulars than it did the other day at TD Garden, including forwards Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie and goaltender Braden Holtby.
“He's a big body and moves around pretty good for a big body so he's going to have to be hard to play against, which I've mentioned before about some other guys,” Sacco said of Sherman. “He's obviously going to have to be a player who uses his size. He's got a long reach, and he's going to have to use his length out there, use his stick effectively in the defensive zone, and make it uncomfortable when (opposing forwards) are around the net or in the corners.”
There’s definitely some competition on the B’s blue line, especially after veteran Adam McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers last week. Still, it’s likely Sherman’s opportunity to stick in a Black and Gold uniform of the Boston variety on a regular basis would be some time down the road simply because of the NHL experience that newcomer Steven Kampfer, former Edmonton Oiler and New Hampshire native Mark Fayne, and others invited to training camp possess.
No matter what happens, Sherman knows what it takes to keep his name in line for a big league shot.
“I've put in a lot of preparation during the summer and the last few weeks, so I'm just trying to go out there and do my best,” said Sherman, who played in two American Hockey League games with the Providence Bruins after his senior year at Harvard ended in the ECAC playoffs. “(My goal is to) just to keep getting better, keep learning from the guys around me, and show that I'm willing to get better and do the things I need to do.”
Sherman will certainly not be alone in being in that situation tonight as center Sean Kuraly is the lone Boston regular set to skate in the rematch with the Capitals. Being familiar with other players in camp has made the transition to professional life smoother.
Though the O.R.G. China Games split the camp roster in half, there are still a few veterans like Chara, fellow defenseman Torey Krug, and centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron based in Boston for the preseason. Their presence only helps youngsters like Sherman a great deal.
“It's always good for young players to see what veteran players do and how they go about their business every day in training camp, how they prepare, how they get ready for practice and games,” Sacco said. “When you have a handful of those guys, it's helpful for the coaching staff and the younger players working their way around training camp and trying to figure things out.”
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