SORENSEN THRIVING IN SAN JOSE

During San Jose’s nine-game winning streak, no player on the Barracuda has been hotter than Marcus Sorensen. In his first year in North America, the 24-year-old has shown off a plethora of high-end attributes that got him his first recall to the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. In two games in the NHL, the Swedish forward registered one point (0+1=1), a plus-one rating and three shots in 16 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time in games against Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Arguably Sorensen’s greatest strength is his blazing speed, which helped him earn Rookie of the Year honors in the Swedish Hockey League in 2014-15, and has allowed for the native of Sodertalje, Sweden, to accelerate his adjustment to the North-American game. At just 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Sorensen has also shown a willingness to mix it up with his opponents in the gritty areas.

“He’s not a real big guy, but he plays big…and that’s what is so intriguing about him,” said Head Coach Roy Sommer. “We knew he’d be good because of his compete-level and how he plays inside... he’s just got his game together, and he’s making plays.”

Over the first 20 games in the AHL, Sorensen recorded just nine points (5+4=9) and had a 10-game stretch from mid-November to mid-December where he didn’t record a single point, but in his last 20 games, Sorensen has exploded for 20 points (9+11=20) and a plus-eight rating.

“I think I’ve adjusted my game pretty well so far,” said Sorensen. “The first 20 games weren’t that good, but the last 20 games have been really good.”

Sorensen is riding a seven-game point streak (3+7=10) from January 21 to now, and a six-game assist streak from January 25 to now.

The former Djurgardens (SHL) product was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round (106 overall) of the 2010 draft but was signed by San Jose as a free agent on May 13, 2016.

Through 40 games with the Barracuda, Sorensen is fourth in points (14+15=29), T-second in goals, sixth in assists and third in plus/minus (+4).

“I’m just taking the puck to the net, you’ve got to take the puck to the net to score at this level,” said Sorensen. “Obviously my speed is one of my biggest strengths, but it comes down to compete.”

Sorensen and the Barracuda are back in action on Friday as they travel to Stockton to take on the Heat while searching for their tenth win in a row. Sorensen has three points (1+2=3) in six games against the Heat with four penalty minutes and a plus-three rating.