Barracuda exits: The bar has been raised

The San Jose Barracuda wrapped up its season with a mix of growth and some unfinished business, and the players’ exit interviews gave us a glimpse into where each player and the team are headed. For a group filled with rookies, vets and everything in between, there was a clear thread of hunger that ran through each conversation.

Take Collin Graf, who jumped into the pro grind straight out of college. 

“It’s a grind every day. It’s super competitive. It’s not like college, it’s your job to be a hockey player,” he said.

Graf made it clear he’s always pushing to elevate his game.

“I’m never going to be satisfied with how I’m playing, or think that there’s nothing I can’t get better at,” he said. 

Luca Cagnoni, just 20, reflected on how fast things had changed from where he was a year ago. 

“Being in the AHL at 20 years old is pretty special, especially where I was in my development a year ago,” he said.

And while Cagnoni acknowledged the personal growth, he was quite quick to credit the people around him.

“My family is a big part … the coaches and the teammates here, like, unreal … It’s just so easy to come into the rink with a smile on your face,” said Cagnoni.

He spoke highly of veteran Jimmy Schuldt, calling him a mentor who showed up just as much off the ice as he did on it. 

“He’s not the biggest guy, but he still puts his body on the line, sticks up for guys,” said Cagnoni.

Andrew Poturalski, who led the league in points this year, was still obviously hungry for more. 

“I’m too competitive to just be content with being an AHL veteran,” he said. “I want more.”

 Not getting a full shot with the Sharks this season clearly stung. 

“I’m still chasing the NHL … it was a little frustrating on that standpoint.” 

But despite the disappointment, his drive hasn’t wavered—he talked about still feeling like the “five-year-old kid in the driveway” dreaming of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. You can’t fake that kind of passion.

Danil Gushchin’s first season in North America came with ups and downs, but his self-awareness was pretty striking. 

“I have some shots on there, but end of the day, I think I need to score more goals to be a better player,” he said. 

He was candid about the emotional toll of missing playoff time due to his injury, calling it “sucks … kind of being helpless sitting at home.”

Like many of his teammates, Gushchin made it clear the goal is still the NHL—”My goal is playing NHL, so yeah”—but he’s thoughtful about the journey.

Even in Coach John McCarthy’s words, you could hear the focus on both raising expectations and maintaining a good perspective. 

“We should be a team that’s in the conversation every year and pushing to go on deep playoff runs,” he said. 

He praised how the team responded late in the year, playing more structured when it mattered. The message from McCarthy was clear: this season set a new standard.

 “We’ve kind of raised the bar, and we’re not going to lower it back down at the start of next season,” said McCarthy.

From rookies learning the grind to veterans still chasing the show, the Barracuda locker room was full of voices that all pointed in the same direction. Which is to get better, compete harder, and don’t settle. Whether the players are on the cusp of a call-up or just finding their footing, this group knows there’s more work ahead. No one’s taking days off.