Top 15 San Jose Sharks Prospects - 2024 Offseason Edition
A Closer Look at our Stars of Tomorrow
Now that the 2024 NHL Draft has been in the history books for over a month, I’ve finally had a chance to sit back and assess our updated prospect pool in all its glory. The last time I wrote any kind of Sharks prospect article was in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Wow, how things can change (thank you Mike Grier). In just a few years, the San Jose Sharks impressively amassed a thrilling and talented group of prospects and young players that have given fans their first glimmer of hope in what certainly was a dark and uncertain couple of seasons.
The sheer depth and quality of our prospect pool today compared to just four years ago is night and day, so I thought to myself, why not make a new prospect ranking article? In my last prospect piece, I did a simple top 10 list, but since we’ve been basement dwellers for this entire decade, our pool deserves much more than just 10 of our players to be mentioned, so I bumped it up to 15.
Before I argue my choices, I’m going to set some ground rules. What do I consider to be a prospect? 1. The player cannot have played in more than 50 NHL games. 2. The player must be under the age of 23. That simple. With these rules in place, players like William Eklund, Henry Thrun, and Ty Emberson will not count as prospects. Also, I’d just like to say that this list is simply my opinion. If you disagree with my picks, that’s completely valid. I’m neither a professional scout, nor a professional writer. Lastly, if I say that a prospect can become, say, a top six forward in the future, that doesn’t mean that they will become that with 100% certainty, that projection is just what I think could possibly happen if the player continues to develop on the right path and if everything works out.
For the balancing aspect of my list, I tried to keep a healthy mix of certainty and upside when I considered my rankings, and if two players were neck-and-neck, I’d always swing for the upside. With all that out of the way, thank you all for reading, and let me introduce a few honourable mentions before getting to the good stuff:
Jack Thompson
Acquired at the 2024 Trade Deadline in the Anthony Duclair deal, Thompson is a creative 22-year-old offensively minded right-shot defensemen. He was impressive at the AHL level, totalling 32 points in 46 games with the Syracuse Crunch, as well as 9 points in 16 games with the Barracuda. If everything turns out right for him, I can see him getting a solid NHL look as soon as next season and could project as a good bottom-pairing defenseman. The reason why I left him out was because the offensive defensemen archetype that he fits in hardly ever hit their true potential on the NHL level, but on a team who has a gaping void at RD like the Sharks, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Ethan Cardwell
I like Ethan Cardwell’s game, I really do. He’s an energetic right winger who has looked above average in the AHL. In his first season with the Cuda, he scored 23 goals and 20 assists in 71 games, while also taking the Barracuda Rookie of the Year award. His game is translatable to the NHL level, and he’s a player that a team would love to have in their bottom six if he continues his upward trajectory. The only reason why he’s an honourable mention is because of his lower ceiling compared to other players on my list, and him dropping a few spots because of the 2024 draft.
Cameron Lund
The same things I said about Cardwell, I could probably say about Lund. I’m a fan of his shot, which I believe is already NHL calibre. He has good size as well, with a 6-foot-2 frame. For the past two seasons, he’s been playing for the Northeastern University Huskies in the NCAA. He took a step up offensively last season, scoring 30 points in 35 games (compared to 23 in 35 in the season prior), and I believe that the plan for him is that he’ll play one more year in college, and then jump into the AHL to continue his development. He’s a solid player, but he doesn’t have any game breaking traits that set him apart from his peers. If he makes the NHL, he could become a decent third line winger, but still, that’s not bad for a 2nd round pick though.
Now, let’s jump right into it!
15: Leo Sahlin Wallenius
The first of four 2024 Sharks draft picks on this list, Leo Sahlin Wallenius was selected in the 2nd round, 53rd overall by the Sharks. I loved this pickup, as he was slotted to be gone by the late 1st round or the early 2nd round. Sahlin Wallenius (as well as a personal favourite prospect of mine, fellow 2024 2nd round pick, Alfons Freij) spent his whole draft season on the Växjö Lakers U-20 team. While in the Swedish junior league, the left-shot defensemen put up an impressive 42 points in 43 games, as well as putting up 3 assists in 7 World Junior U-18 matches, while also wearing an “A” for both clubs.
He is genuinely responsible defensively, as he has good gap control and has good knowledge of defensive positioning and where to put his stick. He also has very good skating with and without the puck, which makes him a threat wherever he is on the ice. His underrated point totals indicate his above average playmaking skills and hockey IQ as well. His transition game might be his biggest strength, as he combines his impressive mobility with his passing tools to move the puck from the defensive zone and create offensive chances. His biggest hurdle will be overcoming his shorter stature, being just 6-feet tall, as well as finding consistency and confidence. That isn’t the end of the world of course, but it will likely make his transition to North America more difficult.
I’d imagine that he spends his next few seasons in Sweden, and at the earliest, I can see him coming over for the 2026-2027 season to fight for a job in either the AHL or NHL, depending on how well he develops. For a 2nd round pick, he was excellent value. I want to state this one more time, but don’t think that he can’t play defence or that he’s not a physical player. Just because he’s undersized and scored at a good pace doesn’t mean that he wasn’t also effective in his own zone. He is not a liability when he doesn’t have the puck. If he can put it all together, Sahlin Wallenius could slot in as a solid middle-pairing defensemen who would be comfortable in every situation that’s thrown at him.
14: Eric Pohlkamp
Drafted as an over-ager in the 5th round in 2023, Eric Pohlkamp already looks like a worthwhile gamble for San Jose. From not getting drafted at all in 2022, he turned his insignificant draft stock completely around in his D+1 year by winning the USHL Defenseman of the year award, scoring a very respectable 51 points in 59 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, which resulted in the Sharks selecting him in 2023. Just to contextualize his achievement, some notable players who have won this award in the past decade are Mason Lohrei, Owen Power, Neal Pionk, and Brandon Montour. Not bad company to be in at all. In his D+2 year last season, he debuted in the NCAA with Bemidji State University (incredible logo by the way), and he was solid once again, amassing 24 points in 32 games, also scoring 1 goal and 3 points in 7 World Junior games, winning the gold medal for the United States of America.
Being a right-shot defensemen certainly helps boost his rank in my opinion, as those players are harder to find. Although he is only 5-foot-11, he’s very sturdy, with his physicality being one of his biggest assets he can bring every time he steps on the ice. Another asset in his game is his above average shot, which was displayed during the Sharks’ 2024 prospect scrimmage, when he scored the game-tying goal for team white. He was arguably the best defenseman in that game, as he genuinely impressed me nearly every time he was on the ice.
Next season, he’s looking to take another step forward in his development, as this offseason, the 20-year-old defenseman transferred to the recently crowned NCAA champions, University of Denver Pioneers. In my dream scenario, he gets paired with the 2024 13th overall pick, Zeev Buium, and logs heavy minutes, but by just being in such a winning culture and atmosphere, it will only aid him in his future as a hockey player, no matter who he’s paired with. I really think that playing in Denver will help his game round out to where he wants it to be and probably where it needs to be to become an NHL player.
After a year or two playing in Denver, I think that he comes over to California to fight for a spot in the San Jose organization. I think that Pohlkamp could become a consistent and reliable 4th or 5th defenseman in the NHL who can provide big hits, reliable defensive positioning and play, and a hard shot from the point. Once again, great value for a 5th round pick. The combination of his continued growth over the past two seasons, his interesting tools, his exciting future at Denver University, as well as being a much-needed right-shot defenseman is why I’m very hopeful that he’ll continue to develop over the next few seasons and become a player the Sharks would love to have.
13: Thomas Bordeleau
Thomas Bordeleau barely counts as a prospect (he’s 22 and has played in 43 NHL games), but technically, he still counts as one if you’re going by my rules. Drafted all the way back in 2020 in the 2nd round, Bordeleau was a personal favourite player of mine when our prospect pool wasn’t as loaded as it is today. I fondly remember watching a bunch of Michigan games during the pandemic and fawning over every little thing he did, (don’t judge me, we had no good prospects at the time).
He’s an entertaining player, and his hands, hockey sense, and passing are all NHL calibre. He transitioned well from the University of Michigan in the NCAA over to the AHL, scoring 69 career points in 102 games for the Barracuda so far. He’s spent parts of 3 seasons for the Sharks, finally sticking in the NHL for more than 8 games last season, when he scored 11 points in 27 games. At the NHL level, he’s already a power play threat who excelled on the Sharks’ first unit, with 7 of his 11 points being on the man advantage. Also, as I am writing this, he signed a 1-year, two-way contract to remain in San Jose, as he was an RFA.
The reason why I have him so low is that I don’t really see a clear future with him on the Sharks. After the many free agent and trade acquisitions Grier made this offseason, the forward position has a massive logjam (and this isn’t even counting the likes of Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini joining as well). Tyler Toffoli, Alex Wennberg, Carl Grundstrom, Ty Dellandrea, and Barclay Goodrow are all new faces in the San Jose forward group, and that means that Bordeleau might be the odd man out. He doesn’t really play the “Mike Grier style of hockey” (big and hard to play against), so that doesn’t help him as well. He’s more suited to play in a top six role, as he isn’t gritty or physical enough to slug it out in the bottom six, but I just don’t see where he fits.
If he figures it all out and has an impressive training camp, then I do see a possibility that Bordeleau starts his season somewhere in the top six, although with a short leash. With all that said, I think Bordeleau has all the skills and tools to become a good middle six player that can be effective on the power play for many years to come. Although the chances of him hitting his true potential in San Jose might be low, maybe a change of scenery is what he needs to reach his ceiling. No matter where he ends up, Thomas Bordeleau will always be fondly remembered by me, so I really do hope that he can continue to develop in San Jose.
12: Danil Gushchin
Danil Gushchin is a player that just keeps getting better throughout the years. Gushchin has taken an unorthodox journey to arrive at where he is today. Being Russian, you would think he’d be playing in some sort of Russian junior league when he was drafted, but no, he was actually a member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL when he was selected 76th overall by San Jose in the 2020 draft. In his D+1, he improved his point totals in Muskegon with 64 in 46 (compared to 47 in 42 the year prior), and in the next year, he went over to the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL, where he scored 41 goals and 71 points in 51 games. He spent most of the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons on the Barracuda, where his point totals increased as well, finishing last season with a very respectable 54 points in 56 AHL games. He’s seen limited time on the Sharks so far, but in just 6 games, he’s scored 4 points.
I’ve always loved his game, he’s just very fun to watch. When he was drafted, he was touted for his goalscoring ability, but over the years, he’s really rounded out his game in a way where it increases the chances of him becoming an NHL player. He’s got incredible hands, even scoring a Michigan during his USHL days, and attempting one in the AHL as well. His skating is one of his biggest strengths too, as he’s great at creating separation in the offensive zone, and backchecking effectively when he defends. His motor is probably my favourite trait of his, as he’s constantly in the play, no matter where it is on the ice. Even if he does have that energy, he is sometimes stripped of the puck or loses 1v1 battles due to his smaller stature, as he’s 5-foot-10 and around one-hundred-eighty pounds. Although that is true, that hasn’t really stopped him before.
I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but the reason why I have him relatively low are the same reasons as why I put Bordeleau where I did. I will say that he is more suited to play in the bottom six than Bordeleau, but I’d still be a bit weary with having him there at this moment in time. If he can find a nice little sheltered home on the third line, then I’d be more optimistic about his chances of having an extended look in the NHL this season, but that’s unlikely in my opinion. If you were Mike Grier and you just spent a combined 9.49 million dollars on Kunin, Goodrow, Dellandrea, and Grundstrom, you’d probably want to see some kind of combination of those wingers in your bottom six rather than an unproven undersized young Gushchin.
If he starts out in the AHL and continues to dominate like he did last year, he’ll see some time on the Sharks, but this time, it won’t be for just 6 games. I see a future where Gushchin can become an excellent middle six scoring forward who can provide energy and competitiveness in all three zones and produce offensively when need be. If that future is in San Jose though, I can’t tell you for sure. I’ve got him a little higher than Bordeleau only because he’s more suited to play bottom six minutes due to his energy and his ability to be impactful no matter the situation, whereas Bordeleau is mainly a power play option who needs to work on his defence and his game off the puck.
11: Collin Graf
Man, who would’ve thought that Collin Graf would sign with us? After his second stellar season at Quinnipiac University, Graf was a highly sought after free agent who was desired by nearly every team in the league. When the right-shot American winger signed with the basement dwelling Sharks, it’s fair to say that some eyebrows were raised. He was given something in San Jose that few teams could match though, and that was playing time. He averaged 16:35 in his brief 7 game stint with the Sharks, providing 2 assists. Why was he so coveted as a free agent? Well, he was a desired talent for a reason: After playing out his draft year with the Boston Junior Bruins in the NCDC, and then playing his next season with Union College in the NCAA, he transferred to Quinnipiac, where his offence absolutely exploded, catapulting him onto the scene as a big-name college free agent.
Everything seemed to click for him when he was in Quinnipiac, as in his first season, they won the NCAA championship. He finished top 10 in Hobey Baker voting for 2 straight years, scoring 59 points in 41 games in the 2022-2033 season, and 49 points in 34 games last season. After being eliminated in the second round by Will Smith and Boston College, he decided to turn pro, signing a 3-year ELC with the San Jose Sharks on April 4th. He’s a great passer who can thread the needle and find his teammates on difficult passes. His hockey IQ is NHL level as well, and so is his shot. If he wants to have a long career in the NHL however, he’ll need to work on his physicality, conditioning, and his skating.
I wouldn’t say that his ceiling is any higher than the likes of Bordeleau or Gushchin, but I’d argue that his floor is much higher. I’d also say that he has a clearer future with the Sharks as well, as he’s more suited to be a bottom six NHL player, especially if he improves the physical aspects of his game. He’s taller than those two as well, being 6-foot-1. He was signed for a reason, and a part of that reason is because he plays the aforementioned “Mike Grier style of hockey”. He also plays primarily on the right wing, where I’d say that the Sharks are a little weaker at compared to the left wing or centre positions, further cementing his likelihood of remaining as a consistent member of the Sharks in the future.
I’m not sure that he will start off in the NHL next season, since he’s going to be way down the pecking order compared to last year. I think that he’ll get heavy deployment in the top six in the AHL next season, where he can work on his conditioning and physicality, and will likely see some games in the NHL. Collin Graf has the potential to top out as a third line forward, but if he’s on your fourth line, you’d love the mismatches that would occur because I think that he’ll be able to produce at a rate offensively that most fourth liners simply cannot compete with. For someone you got for free, you’ll absolutely take that.
10: Kasper Halttunen
Kasper Halttunen is the most polarizing prospect in our system. On some days, I dream fondly about his deadly shot and the likes of Smith, Celebrini, and Eklund feeding him passes for years to come, and on other days, I don’t think he’ll even get a single game in the NHL. I’ve seen him ranked way higher on other lists, which I do understand, don’t get me wrong. Let me start with the positives. His shot is flat-out elite. He is probably the best natural goal scorer in our prospect pool, and he fills that void effectively. Both his shot power and his accuracy are already NHL calibre. On the power play, he sits in Ovechkin’s office and scores goals in bunches like it’s nothing. He was tied for the OHL lead in power play goals, with 19.
Coming over from the Finnish men’s league, he scored 32 goals and 61 points in 57 games in his first North American season for the London Knights, which isn’t bad, but that stat line isn’t eye-popping or anything. Other than his shot, his only other redeeming quality in my opinion is his size and physicality. Halttunen is a 6-foot-3, two-hundred-fifteen pound right-shot right winger. He uses his size effectively to protect the puck and to drive to the net to either screen the goaltender or to create offensive chances, and he’s good at engaging physically in the offensive zone.
The part that worries me about him however is that the rest of his game isn’t that developed. At this moment, he’s a one trick pony. Most of his effectiveness is to rip one-timers on the power play (very well), but when he needs to do anything else, he’s usually average or even below average. His skating needs work, and so does his conditioning. I’ll give him credit on working to improve those things however, as he reportedly slimmed down by about 10 pounds or so if I remember correctly (so his current weight is probably closer to 205). That was around the halfway mark of last season, and I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that his offence took off at that point. In the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup, he scored an astonishing 21 goals and 10 assists in just 22 games. If that’s the Halttunen we’re going to get, then I’d have him much higher than 10th.
It really was a tale of two halves for Halttunen, as his first half was quite average, and I even began to sour on him. You want to see a significant improvement in a prospect’s D+1 season, but at around the halfway mark, he seemed like he was regressing. To make things worse for me, there were other players available at 36th in 2023 that I wanted way more than him, such as Andrew Cristall or Lucas Dragicevic. He really turned it around though, as when the second half of the season began, I began to appreciate his game a lot more. Those 21 goals in 22 playoff games really helped his case as to why the Sharks drafted him in the first place. He was drafted to score goals, and he finally broke through on a meaningful level in that regard during the second half of the 2023-2024 season.
He was also very solid in the prospect scrimmage, being paired with Macklin Celebrini, where he showcased his incredible shot by scoring in the game. He was actually pretty good in the other parts of his game that didn’t involve shooting, so I guess my opinion on him is on the upswing at the moment. He can choose to either stay in London, or move up to the Barracuda in the AHL, as he’s Finnish and is not tied down by the same CHL rules that the likes of Musty or Dickinson would be. I’m leaning towards one more year in London, so he can really round out his game in a league that he’s probably going to do very well in. London has a great track record at developing its players throughout the years, since their structure is very similar to how an NHL team is run.
If he can work on getting the rest of his game to be more well-rounded, then there’s genuine potential for Halttunen to become a top six winger, who can also be a team’s primary power play shooting threat. If he’s paired up with good playmakers, then I think he could pot 25 goals in the league, if not more. It’s just that I think the probability of him hitting his ceiling is quite low. Halttunen is a boom or bust prospect, and even though his ceiling is higher than most in this range, his floor isn’t even in the NHL.
Being a late 2005 birthday (June 7th) also gives him more runway compared to if he was born in late 2004, so that makes me more optimistic about him as well, same with the fact that he held his own in his first season in North America, adjusting to smaller ice and a different culture. So, I’m going to settle for the happy middle point by putting him 10th on my list, but don’t be surprised if I have him much higher in the future.
9: Luca Cagnoni
Do you love undersized offensive defensemen with tons of skill, because I sure do! I adored this pickup by San Jose the moment it happened, and I’m loving it even more today. Luca Cagnoni somehow slipped all the way to 123rd overall to San Jose in the 2023 NHL draft. Many pundits and scouts loved the pick, since he was supposed to go somewhere in the 2nd round, but only really fell because of his height. That’s a valid concern, as not many 5-foot-9 defensemen make the NHL, let alone thrive in it. But honestly, it’s 2024. Smaller defensemen lighting it up is the new norm in the league, I mean, Quinn Hughes literally just won the Norris trophy, and he’s just 5-foot-10. I’m not saying he’s going to be Hughes obviously, but I’m going to try to argue why he’s going to have a good shot at becoming an impact player for the Sharks in the future.
Luca Cagnoni has faced adversity his whole career, so his small stature isn’t going to stop him from achieving his dream. He went undrafted in the WHL draft, signing with the Portland Winterhawks. He fought for his spot on the team, and was an important player from the get-go, scoring 36 points in 63 games, not bad at all for an undrafted, undersized, 16/17-year-old defender. In his draft year, he nearly doubled his point totals, with 64 in 67. That’s impressive for a draft-eligible skater. After being drafted way later than he should’ve gone, he seemingly played with a chip on his shoulder, and only had the highest point total scored by a WHL defenseman this century, scoring an astounding 90 points in 65 games. This type of progression is precisely what you want to see in a player.
He has so many tools in his game that elevate his potential going forward. His skating is above average, and he uses his nimble body to manipulate defenders and skate into dangerous areas on the ice. His puck handling and passing are both much better than what you would typically get for a 4th round pick, as his 72 assists last season are a testament to his incredible vision and passing skills. He thinks the game at an incredible level in all three zones as well. He’s able to control the offensive zone on even strength, as well as on the power play.
For being undersized and offensive-minded, his defensive game is not bad at all. I’d actually rank it as more of a positive than a negative. He’s a great positional defender who uses his speed to his advantage to remain in the play and to track opposing attackers. If he wants to continue his upward trend, I’d like to see his skating just be a little bit better. He’s a good skater, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not an elite one. To be a good shorter defenseman in the NHL, having elite skating is almost always a must. I’d also highlight his physicality as a point to work on as well, since his competition is only going to get bigger and stronger in the coming years.
There are two paths Luca Cagnoni can take next season: He could return to the WHL to Portland, or he can play in the AHL for the Barracuda. I could argue for both paths, as I see positives and negatives for both cases. If I had to lean towards one side, I’d choose the Barracuda path, but just barely. No matter where he goes, I think he’ll only get better. In a perfect world, Luca Cagnoni’s ceiling is a number 3 defenseman, who can quarterback your 2nd unit. Think of Sam Girard as his comparable (if he works out). Similar to Halttunen however, his floor isn’t even in the NHL, as small offensive defensemen usually don’t make it (remember Ryan Merkley anyone?)
Nothing has stopped the Canadian left-shot defenseman from excelling before, but I’m going to remain realistic on him, so that’s why he’s only at number 9 for me. If he wants to make a genuine impact as an NHLer, he’ll have to rise above his fellow left-shot defensive prospects, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Sam Dickinson for not just a roster spot, but playing time in the future as well, which would be difficult for any prospect to do. He’s in a range in my mind where he could’ve been as high as 7th, so don’t feel too bad that he’s where he is right now (and don’t forget that San Jose have one of the deepest pools in the league). If he continues to impress, then expect a much higher ranking from me the next time I do this.
8: David Edstrom
David Edstrom is the type of player that you need to win a Stanley Cup. He may not be flashy or have the highest ceiling, but he’ll do all the dirty work that your team needs to succeed, and he’ll play in the hardest situations on a nightly basis. He’s the type of player you’ll never see on the highlight reel, but some fans will appreciate him just as much as their star players. The 6-foot-3 left-shot Swedish centre was drafted 32nd overall in 2023 by the Vegas Golden Knights and was swiftly dealt to San Jose in the Tomas Hertl deal at the trade deadline. I know, I miss Hertl too, but I’m going to tell you all about Edstrom and why you’ll come to love this player in the future.
David Edstrom plays a very translatable style of hockey. In Frölunda in the SHL as well as in the Swedish national junior team, he’s been primarily used as a defensive stalwart who kills penalties and takes a bunch of defensive zone draws. Last season, he scored a solid 19 points in 44 SHL games. I know that it doesn’t sound amazing, but keep in mind that his main focus in on shutting down opposing offences and defending his team when they were on the penalty kill. Edstrom is a very responsible player, using his big body, his intelligence, and his long reach to break up plays in the defensive zone. The comfort of having a player like Edstrom spear-heading a penalty-killing unit or taking late game draws will be significant down the line for the Sharks.
He’s been described by scouts as a face-off specialist, and he’s been taking and winning most of his draws in the defensive zone. Edstrom is the exact type of player that the Sharks’ centre prospects needed. If he pans out, the Sharks would love a defensively-minded face-off man like Edstrom, who would enable centres like Will Smith or Macklin Celebrini (to an extent, as he’s great in every zone) to receive more opportunities to get many more reps in the offensive zone, because of all those difficult defensive zone draws Edstrom would be taking during the game. Every team needs a reliable face-off man who can get your team out of a tricky defensive zone pinch, and Edstrom will fill that role brilliantly. If he wants to take his defence to an even higher level however, he should look to bulk up a bit, as he’s only around one-hundred-ninety pounds.
Just because he’s being praised as a defensive player, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have some offence in his game. His shot is already at an NHL level, and his large frame enables him to enter prime scoring areas. Like I said before though, Edstrom isn’t here to be your superstar point scorer, but he isn’t a liability offensively. He’s intelligent enough to play with more skilled forwards and not slow them down, which is a hard thing to do in today’s fast-paced game. He isn’t a 2023-2024 Luke Kunin situation, where you saw him miss dozens of opportunities given to him by William Eklund, just because he didn’t think the game at a similar level to the Swede. His passing is about average as well, which you’ll take. His analytics are great in all three zones, so he’ll nearly always be a positive player no matter what situation he’s dealt with. If there’s a shuffle in the lineup or bad injury luck, Edstrom would be able to be plugged in anywhere and be solid.
Edstrom has already stated that he’s playing one more season in the SHL. I’d probably imagine that the next season will be his last in Sweden, and in 2025, he’ll be coming over to the AHL to continue his career. He might be ready to play in the NHL as soon as 2025-2026, but I’d give him an extra season or so to give him as much time as he needs. Edstrom is a very safe player to project because his tools are so translatable and are incredibly useful to the bottom-six of any NHL team. I can see him being an amazing 3rd line shutdown centre in his prime, who can also be on your top penalty-killing unit. His floor is probably the exact same as his ceiling, but maybe on the 4th line instead. He will be a very useful player down the line for the Sharks for years to come, as his defensive-zone face-off victories, penalty killing excellence, and his overall defensive brilliance will help close out games and free our offensive talents to do what they do best.
7: Filip Bystedt
The first player selected in the Mike Grier era, Filip Bystedt has finally landed in North America, ready to make a name for himself in San Jose. Selected 27th overall by San Jose, Bystedt is a 6-foot-4, two-hundred-pound left-shot Swedish centre, who can also slot in at wing if need be. The reason why I have him ahead of Edstrom is because I think that Bystedt’s offensive game has a higher ceiling than Edstrom’s. Even though I think that Edstrom is the better defensive player and the safer prospect, Bystedt could become more of an impact player offensively for the Sharks in the future. I actually see a future where Edstrom and Bystedt anchor the 3rd and 4th line centre slots, and absolutely dominate there. I can also see a possibility where Bystedt plays on Edstrom’s wing on the 3rd line as well.
Applying his trade in Linköping of the SHL, Bystedt had an impressive D+1 year, scoring 20 points in 45 SHL games, as well as 10 points in 7 games for team Sweden in the World Juniors. To put icing on the cake, he also won the SHL rookie of the year award. During his next season, he regressed slightly, which concerned me. What made me more hopeful however was what he did when he came to the AHL. In a brief 8 game stint with the Barracuda last season, he scored 7 points, including a 3-point outing on his AHL debut. When I saw that near point-per-game stat line, it dawned on me that Bystedt is the type of player that might thrive on smaller ice.
He uses his body well to separate himself from threats, protect pucks, and rush to the front of the net to disrupt play. His shooting, hands, and passing tools are all very solid as well, nothing crazy, but they won’t be detriments to him as he progresses through to the NHL. I’d still like for him to work on those tools though, as they’re all pretty average. His skating is fine for a big man, but I’m waiting to see how it’ll fare on the smaller ice. He’s also a good two-way forward, akin to Edstrom (although I do think that Edstrom is better defensively). Once again like Edstrom, he’ll be able to log decent minutes in the defensive zone and put up good results there. I don’t think he’s as safe of a player as Edstrom, but like I already said, I’m going to bet on the upside here since so far in this list, I’ve been awfully shy about placing high upside prospects higher than the safer options.
Now that he’s in the AHL, he’ll be able to further acclimate to North America and all that it can offer him. I can see him becoming the 1st line centre for the Barracuda for this upcoming season, and if he continues his impressive output from last season, he could see NHL ice as soon as the end of this season. If he continues to see success and develops properly, he could become a great middle six option for the Sharks, probably at centre, but perhaps at wing. I can see Bystedt top out as a 2nd line talent, who might have to play on a 3rd line because of Celebrini and Smith taking ice time from him. If Bystedt hits his ceiling, I truly think that he can become one of the best 3C’s in the entire NHL. If you have a Bystedt/Edstrom bottom-six centre pairing (it doesn’t matter which player is on which line), that’s amazing. If you have Edstrom anchoring a 3rd line with Bystedt on the wing, that’s amazing as well. No matter what happens, the Sharks have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Filip Bystedt.
6: Shakir Mukhamadullin
I really don’t know what to think about Shakir Mukhamadullin. I’ve seen so many conflicting reports about him, that it really made it difficult to make up my mind about where to put him. I know that he’s a bit lower on my list than on other rankings, but our pool is so talented, that ending up at 6th is still a great achievement. Drafted 20th overall in 2020 by the New Jersey Devils, many scouts believed it to be a bit of a reach. On Elite Prospects, he was actually categorized as a “do not draft” due to his extreme defensive liabilities and lapses of judgement. Now, I have good news people, Mukhamadullin has developed very well and rounded out his game over these past 4 years to a point where he has a legitimate shot of becoming a good NHL talent. Acquired by San Jose in the Timo Meier trade in 2023, Mukhamadullin at one point was our best defensive prospect, but after selecting Sam Dickinson in June, he’s fallen to 2nd in my opinion, which is still great by the way.
After getting drafted, he spent his next two seasons in the KHL, playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring 10 points in 39 games in 2020-2021, and 7 points in 34 games in 2021-2022. He began his third season in Ufa as well, shattering his previous point totals, with 25 points in 67 KHL games. He was then traded to San Jose, and he promptly reported to the Barracuda, where he ended his first AHL stint with an impressive 10 points in 12 games. He continued his upwards trajectory as a member of the Sharks organization by leading his team in defenseman scoring with 34 points in 55 games in the AHL last season, deservedly winning the Barracuda Most Valuable Player and the Top Prospect award. He debuted with the San Jose Sharks in January of last season, averaging 21 minutes a night, and scoring 1 point in his brief 3 game call-up. He held his ground well on that horrible 2023-2024 Sharks roster, showcasing his vastly improved skillset and showing fans a glimpse into the future on the Sharks back-end.
Mukhamadullin is a lanky 6-foot-4, one-hundred-ninety-pound left-shot physical offensive defenseman. His skating is a genuine asset, especially considering his size. He can dart up the ice to provide offence any way he wants, becoming a premier transition and zone-entry defensive prospect over his past 4 years of development. He also loves to shoot the puck, doing so any time he can get the chance to. His bread and butter is creating rebound chances with his point shots, with his first and only NHL point being just that. His passing and puckhandling skills have developed well, becoming a power play threat, not just for his shot, but for his ability to move the puck quickly and accurately. His offensive game was already good in 2020, but over the last few years, he’s improved on nearly every offensive aspect of his game.
Most people agree that he’s vastly improved his stock since 2020, mainly due to his improvements in his own end. With that being said, he’s still not incredible in the defensive zone. He can be caught flat-footed in his own zone, and he sometimes gives the puck away while trying to exit his zone. Still though, he’s really rounded out that part of his game to a point where his positives in the defensive zone usually outweigh his negatives, where just 4 years ago, it was nearly all negatives. I believe that if he develops his physical play further, he can cement himself as a great defenseman for San Jose. I’ve seen conflicting reports regarding his weight, with some outlets reporting that he’s not even one-hundred-eighty pounds. If he wants to become an NHL talent, he needs to bulk up to have better conditioning and he needs learn how to use his body better in both ends of the ice.
Mukhamadullin wasn't a part of this year’s prospect scrimmage, with Sharks management stating that he’s going to be a full member of training camp in the fall as he tries to make the Sharks full-time. I think that he has a chance to do that, but a more realistic probability is that he starts off once again in the AHL but gets called up way earlier than he did last year, and he’ll likely play an extended amount of time in the NHL. I can see him becoming a full-time NHLer as early as the second half of this season, or at the start of the next season.
Mukhamadullin has the potential to become a good top four defenseman for San Jose in the future, likely finding a home on the second pair, also spending heavy minutes on the power play. He’s an offensive dynamo that every team in the league covets. I mean, who doesn’t want a 6-foot-4 mobile offensive defenseman in their organization? Mukhamadullin was originally ranked much higher in my mind, but after our amazing 2024 draft, he slipped down a couple positions, which really wasn’t his fault at all. If I did this list before that draft, he was as high as 3rd for me, so don’t feel too bad that he’s this low. I’ve really come to appreciate what he does, and I hope that he gets his chance at sticking in the NHL sometime next season.
5: Igor Chernyshov
Igor Chernyshov is the quintessential overpowered custom-made player that you’d make for yourself in an NHL video game. Even though I have him at a higher than average (compared to other Sharks prospect rankings) 5th place, he’s probably my favourite prospect relative to draft position on here. Elite Prospects had him ranked as high as 19, and I saw many mock drafts picking him in the late teens and early twenties. He was a player that I would’ve liked even at 14 (although we eventually traded that pick), so when he wasn’t drafted in the first round, I knew exactly who I wanted on day two. I was pounding my metaphorical clipboard for him when we were on the clock at 33 so metaphorically hard that I broke the metaphorical table (metaphorically, of course). I was more amped about Chernyshov at 33 than I was for Celebrini at 1, since everyone and their dog knew that he was going 1st overall.
Chernyshov split his time in the MHL and the KHL for Dynamo Moscow for the past two seasons. In his D-1 season, he scored an impressive 38 points in 38 MHL games. He also debuted in the KHL at 16 years old (the 11th youngest debut in KHL history up to 2022), played 5 games, and became the youngest goal scorer in Dynamo Moscow history when he scored his first KHL goal at just 17 years and 34 days old. In his draft year, the dynamic Dynamo Moscow power-forward dominated the MHL with 28 points in 22 games, which culminated in him receiving a larger chunk of games in the KHL, from just the 5 games in 2022-2023 to 34 games last season.
He played a bottom six role with Dynamo in the KHL averaging around 8 minutes a night and ended his season with 3 goals and 4 points in the top Russian league. His point totals in the KHL are of no concern however, as this happens with nearly every highly touted Russian prospect since they’re never given the ice time they actually need to develop. Chernyshov was trusted in defensive situations and on the penalty kill in the KHL, which is an incredibly rare sight to see at just 18.
Chernyshov has all the traits and tools to become an impact power forward in the NHL. His intelligent style of game is very projectable to the NHL level, and his tools are very translatable to North American ice. He might be one of the most well-rounded forwards to come out of the 2024 draft. For being 6-foot-3, his skating is excellent. He might not be the most agile player, but his straight-line speed is elite for his size. He uses his skating to separate himself from defenders during rush plays to create 2 on 1’s and breakaways, and he also pests attackers with his speed and motor in the defensive zone. His shooting is a bit above average, with 3 of his 4 KHL points being goals. He loves to drive to the net with or without the puck, and he’s always trying to get the puck on net or to a player in a dangerous area by using his deceptively good passing and puckhandling tools.
Chernyshov is a very simple player, and what I mean by that is that he’ll always make the most effective play in either zone. His astounding work ethic and motor propels the 6-foot-3 power forward to dominate all over the ice. His overwhelmingly positive defensive impact will help him carve out an impressive NHL career, hopefully all in San Jose. When the game gets physical, he just gets better, and I’d say that he’s in his element when the physicality of the game peaks. Chernyshov was able to adapt his style of game depending on what league he was in. In the KHL, he played a safer offensive game while remaining reliable defensively, while in the MHL, he dominated his opponents with his puck skills and hockey IQ. He's a glue guy who keeps your team together; he’s a player that you want on your team during the playoffs.
Chernyshov was originally signed for one more year in the KHL, but as I’m writing this (early August), he personally bought out the final season of his contract and officially signed an ELC with the Sharks. He’ll be reporting to the Memorial Cup champions, Saginaw Spirit of the OHL to continue his development. I love that move, since the Sharks are going to be more able to have a say in his development, and he’ll be able to play with an amazing junior team, who already roster skilled top-end prospects in Zayne Parekh, and Michael Misa. I also like the fact that he’ll acclimate to North American ice and culture even earlier than what was originally going to happen. He’s stated in interviews that he’ll do anything to be a Shark, and his recent actions have really shown that. I think that he’ll have a great season in the OHL, and then probably move to the AHL in the 2025-2026 season. Expect an NHL call-up sometime in that season if he plays well.
Igor Chernyshov is the type of player who’ll make his linemates better from the sheer energy and competitiveness that he brings to every shift. His adaptability ensures that he can be plugged into any roster spot and simply excel. I can see him on Will Smith’s line in the future, being utilized in a Ryan Leonard type role, retrieving loose pucks in the offensive zone and being a pesky power forward that gets the ball rolling. If he can continue to develop his offensive game, his ceiling can become a do-it-all 1st line winger, playing heavy minutes in all situations. A more realistic projection is a good 2nd line forward who can be utilized anywhere a coach needs him to be. A player comparison that I can see if his scoring touch can continue to improve is Valeri Nichushkin, without the off-ice drama.
Even if his offence isn’t completely there at the next level, his translatable defensive play, physicality, and motor will provide him lots of minutes on your bottom six in an energy role. Igor Chernyshov will be a useful player who will wear down opponents with his drive and competitive edge no matter what role he develops into. I certainly hope that he’ll pack enough sunscreen for the sunny beaches of Santa Cruz however, since the only thing that’s been able stop this ball of Russian energy so far was a sunburn.
4: Quentin Musty
Quentin Musty is a unicorn who has the potential to wreak havoc in the NHL for the next fifteen years. Many teams would be lucky to call a player of Musty’s calibre their top prospect, but in this loaded Sharks pool, he’s somehow 4th. I don’t know if there’s another team who has a better top 4 prospect pool than the Sharks’ four-headed monster of Musty, Dickinson, Smith, and Celebrini, and Musty certainly is no throw-in to this equation. Falling all the way to 26th in 2023, San Jose snapped him up and haven’t looked back since, already looking like a steal just 1 year later. Being ranked as high as 12th by Elite Prospects, I loved this acquisition by Grier the second they announced his name at the draft. Selected 1st overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2021 OHL draft, Musty has always had the potential to become a game-breaking talent, and it looks like he’s finally beginning to realize it.
Musty had a very solid draft season, scoring 78 points in just 53 OHL games. To make things even more impressive, Musty battled through a tough first half where he had mononucleosis, as well as a hand injury. He exploded offensively in the second half of the season after he was finally given a clean bill of health. Out of his 78 points, an astounding 50 of them were even strength primary points, meaning that he was often the driving offensive force when he was on the ice at just 17-years-old.
The 2023-2024 season was the year he cemented himself as a name to remember, scoring an astonishing 102 points in 53 games, good enough to top the OHL points per game chart at 1.92. He found instant chemistry with fellow 2023 1st round pick Dalibor Dvorsky, forming a three-headed monster with himself, Dvorsky, and Seattle Kraken prospect David Goyette which terrorized the OHL whenever they were on the ice. Remember that Musty is a summer 2005 birthday (July 6th), meaning that he has a longer runway to develop, so his incredible step up in his D+1 is even more promising than if he was born in October or November of 2004.
Quentin Musty has a unique toolset which enables him to dominate his opponents. He’s an analytical darling, demolishing transition statistics. He’s great at bringing the puck from one end of the ice to the other, by any means necessary. He blends his elite offensive mind with his imposing 6-foot-2, two-hundred-pound frame to dictate play however he wants to. His skating is average, but when he gets to full speed, it’s hard to stop that wrecking ball. He’s a dual-threat winger who can score effectively with his powerful and accurate shot, being able to score consistently from all areas of the offensive zone. He’s a tremendous passer, with elite vision. He seemed to consistently pull off high level passes on a nightly basis. He can stickhandle in a phone booth, dangling his way into scoring chances.
He’s a very efficient player, rarely turning the puck over when he’s attacking. If he doesn’t see a dangerous play, he’ll simply protect the puck with his body and skate laps around the opposition until he sees something crafty that he can pull off. He’s starting to utilize his body more consistently, winning board battles more often than last year, and shrugging off defenders when he has the puck.
In his draft year, he struggled sometimes with consistency, mainly when he didn't have the puck. I wouldn’t say that issue is completely fixed right now, but I’d say that he’s taken strides to round out his game defensively. I think that he should try to utilize his physicality even more than he is now. He’s shown flashes of brilliance in that area, where he turned into a one-man hitting machine, but not consistently. He seems to want to use his brain to get out of tough situations more than by using his body, but I’d like to see him combine both of those aspects to become an even more imposing player. If he can work on using his body to forecheck more, I’d be happy.
Skating used to be a minor issue in his game, but he’s worked on it to a point where it’s become at least an average aspect in his game. Musty can create offence in multiple ways, and I’d love for him to better use his large frame to add yet another consistent way for him to produce offensively. If Musty can put it all together and keeps developing at this rate, the sky is the limit for the American power-forward.
It’s NHL or bust for Musty in the upcoming 2024-2025 season since he falls victim to the CHL prospect rule. I don’t think he’s at the point of becoming a mainstay in the NHL next season, but I do think it’s possible that he gets most, if not all his 9 games in the NHL before being sent back to Sudbury. Both Dvorsky and Goyette are not returning to Sudbury next season (Goyette is too old and Dvorsky wants to make the NHL or the AHL), so I’m interested to see how he does with new linemates. He was a surprise omission from last year’s World Junior roster, but he had an impressive World Junior Summer Showcase, where he was one of team USA’s best players. If he makes the team, expect him to be one of the primary point producers for the Americans.
His explosion in production is the trend that you often see with prospects who end up making the jump and establishing themselves in the NHL. If he improves even more on his work ethic and if he continues the pace that his development is at right now, Quentin Musty can become an excellent top six winger for the Sharks. If he realizes his potential as a skilled power-forward, his rare blend of size and skill can become a unique asset that the Sharks would love to have in their lineup. He’s already shown great chemistry with Will Smith, and I can envision the two on a line together for many years if they both keep trending upwards. Quentin Musty is an absolute offensive and transition demon with the potential to become a reliable do-it-all impact scorer for the Sharks.
3: Sam Dickinson
The San Jose Sharks have finally found their blue-chip defensive prospect in Sam Dickinson. The Sharks originally had the 14th pick in this year’s draft, which they acquired in the Karlsson trade with Pittsburgh, but shortly before the draft, Grier traded up to 11 with a smart plan in mind. There were a consensus six big-name defensemen on the top of draft boards in this year’s entry draft, and they were all slotted to be gone by 14. Grier knew this, so he sprang into action to ensure that the Sharks would be able to steal one of those elusive top defensive prospects. With that in mind, absolutely nobody thought that the two remaining defensemen would be Sam Dickinson and Zeev Buium, who were both projected to go way earlier than 11. Now, I know fans were on team Buium (so was I), but Dickinson is a phenomenal player who will be adored for years in the Bay Area. This selection sparks a monumental shift for the Sharks and how they’ve drafted, since the last defenseman to be picked this high wasn’t even from this century; it was Brad Stuart, who went 3rd all the way back in 1998.
Sam Dickinson has already asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with in the OHL. Selected 4th overall in the OHL draft by the Niagara IceDogs, The London Knights immediately traded an absolute haul of draft picks to acquire the Canadian left-shot defenseman. In his draft season, he amassed 70 points in 68 games from the blue line, which warranted his name being placed highly in many mock drafts. His average draft position was usually somewhere between 5th and 10th overall. Even Grier himself was surprised that his name wasn’t called when San Jose were up at 11.
The Sharks are getting a premium two-way defenseman in Sam Dickinson. Out of the six big-name defensemen, Dickinson is usually considered the safest pick out of them all, due to his translatable and projectable skill set and his already pro-ready game which he’s shown countless times in London. His skating is his best attribute, being able to reach his frighteningly fast top speed in only two or three small strides. His raw explosiveness on his skates is rarely seen among defensemen, let alone a defenseman of his stature, standing at 6-foot-3 and over two-hundred-pounds. His skating expertise allows him to act as a transition ace, successfully getting pucks out of his own zone at an excellent rate. His skating also allows him to excel as a great rush-stopper, who can stay with nearly any forward that’s thrown at him.
He’s a great all-around defenseman. He’s an impressively good minute muncher, being deployed in all situations. His long reach enables him to keep attackers at bay and he’s a solid physical player. He’s a good hitter and he knows how to use his body to his advantage in both the defensive and offensive zone. If for whatever reason his offence doesn’t translate, he’ll make the NHL solely on the merits of his elite skating and defensive soundness. He’s not the flashiest player (like Zeev Buium or Zayne Parekh), but he’s going to be a steady and calming influence who can chip in offensively effectively on the back end that the Sharks would love to have.
His offensive abilities are good, but they aren’t special. His shooting and his passing are both very raw. What I mean by that is that they’re both already pretty good, but I think that he can add another level to both of those skills. I especially love how he gets the puck off the boards, on his stick, and towards the net, like how Brent Burns used to do it for years in teal. If he can keep refining that aspect of his game, I can see him scoring a bunch of points from that one play alone. His passing is a bit of a mixed bag. His passing from the defensive zone to the offensive zone is usually great. Like I said before, he’s a great transition defenseman. Where I’d love to see him improve however is his passing in the offensive zone. He can hit those average passes, but he sometimes fails to even see, let alone make difficult dangerous passes. I’ll elaborate on this a bit more, since I don’t think this fault in his game lies squarely in his passing.
I think that Sam Dickinson is such a fast-paced player that he’s sometimes too fast for him to process what he’s doing. Sometimes you’ll see him skate brilliantly past a defender to initiate a dangerous offensive threat, and then right when you’ll think he’ll make a nice pass to continue the play, he’ll give the puck over, or succumb to pressure, or something like that. His offensive tools are great, but his mind needs time to catch up to his body. Another reason why I think this has been evident in his game is that he played a lot of minutes in London, and after time, fatigue starts to affect your decision making. Don’t worry though, I know that I’m making it seem like a huge issue, where in reality, he’s as big of a lock as a future NHL defenseman as you can get. He’s very young too, being born in June of 2006, giving him a longer runway to develop. I’ll also say this issue isn’t there all of the time, it’s just there sometimes. If he can’t get past this issue however, I do see it affecting his ceiling in the NHL once he makes it.
Dickinson only has two paths next year, and that’s to play another year in London, or somehow make the Sharks out of training camp, which I do not see happening. The earliest I see him becoming a regular in the NHL is the 2025-2026 season, and that’s only if he continues to develop well. I’d say that his great skating, defensive IQ, and physical play will propel him to become a great middle pairing defenseman at his floor. If he can refine his offensive tools and his processing speed mainly in the offensive zone, Sam Dickinson can become a top-pairing, number 2 defenseman for years to come.
He probably won’t be your top scoring defender, but he’ll be your guy right beside an elite scoring d-man, playing 25+ minutes a night, and doing whatever’s necessary to win. Dickinson’s role in the NHL will be as a Swiss army knife, providing a bit of everything and using every tool in his repertoire that’ll be needed to win hockey games. Dickinson’s incredible defensive game, his improving offensive tools, his insane skating ability, his skills as a transition defenseman, and his reliability in his own end will ensure heavy minutes in elevated situations in San Jose as a top-level defender for the next decade-plus.
2: Will Smith
Toews and Kane, Crosby and Malkin, McDavid and Draisaitl, and now, Smith and Celebrini. Will Smith has the skill and all the potential in the world to become a driving force for the San Jose Sharks for a generation, and with Celebrini by his side, the next great dynamic duo of the NHL. Don’t let all the recent Celebrini hype overshadow Will Smith’s ability and talent. This kid is next level good; he’s the kind of player that you’d buy tickets to watch play live. Drafted 4th overall by the Sharks in the stacked 2023 draft, Smith was a fast riser after his monstrously productive season with the USNTDP. I wanted Michkov at 4, but Smith was probably my second favourite guy available at that position. He’s just such a fun player to watch, as he brings such a unique and entertaining skillset that’ll leave Sharks fans on the edge of their seats for years to come.
Playing on one of the most dominant lines in American junior hockey history alongside Gabriel Perreault (23rd overall) and Ryan Leonard (7th overall), Smith tallied an incredible 127 points in just 60 games, earning him the right to be considered as an elite prospect coming into the 2023 NHL draft. After being selected by San Jose, he joined Boston College of the NCAA for the 2023-2024 season, where he further cemented himself as a truly gifted player. He tied the NCAA freshmen points record since 1994, with 71 points in 41 college games, equaling the totals of Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor. His 46 assists, 71 points, and his 1.73 points per game were the highest marks in college hockey last season. He won gold in the World Juniors, scoring a solid 9 points in 7 games. He wasn’t as successful in the Frozen Four however, losing in the final to Denver University. He showed the world that he clearly was too good to play in the NCAA for a second season and that he was ready for his next challenge by taking his talents to the NHL, signing his ELC with the Sharks this offseason.
Will Smith has an elite offensive mind. He’s a sensational passer with great vision who can dish the puck anywhere he wants to with precision timing and accuracy. He’s an excellent distributor at both even strength and on the man advantage. He’s a deceptive player when he has the puck. He has so many tools that he can utilize to get past defenders. He can pass the puck over sticks and bodies, he can deke his way into a scoring chance, and he can change the angle and positioning of defenders with effective feints and fakes which enables him to get pucks on net. His skating is good, but he’s not the type of player who’ll burn defenders with their speed, as he’ll usually get around opposition with his crafty passes or his puckhandling prowess. When he scores goals, he beats goaltenders more with his shot accuracy rather than with pure power.
In his USHL days, he often cheated for offence, but that’s usually the case for the USNTDP. In college, he was better defensively, but at times he was lackadaisical in his own end. I’d say overall, he was average defensively, and in big games, he was usually responsible in the defensive zone. He’s not a very physical player, but he’s extremely competitive, especially when the lights are bright. He’s an average height at six-feet, but he needs to gain some muscle if he doesn’t want to get bullied in the NHL, since he’s only around one-hundred-eighty pounds. I think that he’s made good strides in rounding out his game and polishing the skills that needed to be improved during his stint in college, which is an important thing to see.
The biggest question mark that surrounds him is if he can replicate his remarkable offence without Perreault and Leonard. That question couldn’t be answered last season, as both players joined Smith at Boston College. That line had such great chemistry, that at times, people didn’t really know if Smith was truly that great, or that if he was just a product of good linemates. Smith isn’t very physical, but Ryan Leonard is the definition of a power forward, who often got plays started and was the heartbeat of that line. Perreault is almost as good of a passer as Smith is, and those three prospects were simply a perfect fit for each other. I think that Smith is completely worthy of all the praise he gets, and that he’s only improved because of playing with such great linemates. I do see a bit of a learning curve for him next season while he adjusts to having new players on his line, but I think that in time, he’ll be just fine.
I can see Smith slot in anywhere in the top 9 next season. There’s a debate over if he should start off on the wing rather than his natural centre position, as it’s usually a bit easier to adjust to the NHL at wing. Even if he starts out as a winger, he’s going to be a centre sooner than later in his career, probably as close as the 2025 season. He’s a Calder favourite among betting apps, usually slotting in the top 5 for betting odds. He’ll have extended time on the power play and will likely get more offensive zone starts than in the defensive zone, as he adjusts to the pace and the defensive aspects of the NHL. I can envision somewhere between 35 and 50 points for the newcomer if everything works out. I don’t think that he plays in the AHL, but it definitely is a possibility if he’s struggling to keep up in the NHL. There’s also a chance that he will get loaned out to Team USA for the World Juniors as well, but that chance is probably quite low.
Will Smith has the ceiling of an above average 1st line centre, but since the Sharks lucked out in the Celebrini sweepstakes, he’ll be hopefully occupying the 2C role for years to come. Having a player of Smith’s calibre on your 2nd line simply isn’t fair to the rest of the league. It reminds me of how Draisaitl and Malkin had to play on the second line because of McDavid and Crosby and created devastating offensive mismatches on the Oilers and Penguins respectively throughout their careers. The only thing stopping Smith is his defensive efforts, which have improved at Boston College. He’s deadly on the power play, and his elite offensive mind can single-handedly swing games in his teams’ favour. Will Smith has the potential to develop into a game-breaking point per game machine who’ll be the perfect wing man to Macklin Celebrini.
1: Macklin Celebrini
Macklin Celebrini will be a defining player of the next generation of NHL superstars. Coming into the 2024 draft as the unanimous top prospect, the San Jose Sharks won the draft lottery, and thus were given the opportunity of a lifetime, selecting the Canadian centre 1st overall; their first ever number one selection in franchise history. He’s the perfect prospect for the Sharks, as Celebrini already has Bay Area connections. His father, Rick Celebrini, is the director of sports medicine for the Golden State Warriors. The Celebrini family moved to the Bay as a result, and Macklin even spent time with the Jr. Sharks all the way back in 2019. I wholeheartedly believe that Celebrini is the best prospect the Sharks have ever had by a large margin. I know that those are lofty beliefs, but he’s only exceeded everyones expectations so far throughout his career. With Celebrini in their system, the Sharks have a true franchise-altering star who will drag this team into relevancy once again.
When the pandemic hit, Celebrini enrolled in the esteemed Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school program, echoing the paths of Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, and Nathan MacKinnon in years past. He then decided to forgo a traditional CHL pathway by signing with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Not only was he one of the youngest players in the entire league, but he was also brilliant, winning the USHL rookie, forward, and player of the year awards in his first and only season in the USHL. He led the league in scoring at just 16-years-old, scoring an exceptional 86 points in 50 games. Those 86 points are the highest point totals in history for a 16 year old in the USHL. He needed a new challenge, and that challenge was going to be college hockey.
He committed to Boston University for the 2023-2024 season, a program that has churned out many NHL stars in recent years, such as Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy, Brady Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras, Clayton Keller, Joel Farabee, and Jake Oettinger. A quick side note here, but Sharks GM Mike Grier and former Head Coach, David Quinn are also BU alumni. Even though he was the youngest player in all of college hockey, Celebrini was sensational once again, scoring 32 goals and 32 assists in just 38 games. He won the Hobey Baker award, given to the top collegiate player. He is the first and only 17-year-old to ever be nominated, let alone win the award. He was 3rd in total scoring last season, only behind Cutter Gauthier and fellow Sharks prospect, Will Smith, and his 1.68 points per game was only behind Smith’s total of 1.73. He was also easily the best player on Canada at the World Juniors, scoring 8 points in 5 games.
Here’s the crazy thing about all of this: Celebrini did not have a full offseason of training. He had shoulder surgery in the summer of 2023, and he wasn’t even projected to be ready for the beginning of the season. Miraculously, he was ready for game one, and didn’t miss a single game for Boston University due to injury all season. He had to slowly get back to speed after his surgery, and as a result, he didn’t have much of a chance to train at the pace that he wanted. Of course, having his father on his side in all of this helped him rehab his injury properly and efficiently, and it’s scary to imagine that his stats last season could’ve been even better than they already were. Now that he has a full summer to train and bulk up, the sky is the limit for the new franchise cornerstone.
Macklin Celebrini is the most well-rounded prospect I’ve ever seen. He thinks the game at such an advanced level and plays a complete 200-foot game at such a young age. He’s a plus level skater who can beat you with speed, timing, and edge work. His shot has improved massively since joining Boston University. In the USHL, he was primarily a pass first player, but since there was a lack of other offensive talent at BU, he became more of a dual-threat player since many offensive plays went through him. On the power play he’d often be counted on as the shooter, blasting one timers on the right face-off dot regularly with incredible power and accuracy. He has a brilliant tactical mind, and that shows in how he distributes the puck. He’s great at using his backhand to give and receive passes, and he has the vision and hockey IQ to find the most dangerous plays every time he steps on the ice.
What sets Macklin Celebrini apart from other 1st overall picks is his commitment to the defensive side of the game. He doesn’t cheat for offence in the slightest. I’d say that his defensive prowess and his competitiveness is on the same level as his many offensive gifts. When he was younger, he played as a defenseman and he credits his defensive and well-rounded play style to that. He fights for the puck and competes at a near-generational level. He’s often behind the puck in the defensive zone during breakouts, which allows him to see the game on a different level. He’s always in the right position to steal pucks or to intercept passes. He has the mind of an elite NHL talent but has the heart and passion of a bottom-six energy forward. His stick positioning is nearly always in a perfect area on the ice, and he often breaks up opposing attacks on his own with pure tenacity and his elite defensive mind. He’s also great at face-offs, further cementing his status as an elite two-way forward. He’s a player that you can count on to close out a game when you have a lead. He won’t just be a power play threat, but he’ll also be your best penalty killer as well.
Celebrini signed his ELC with San Jose shortly after the conclusion of the prospect scrimmage, guaranteeing that he won’t be returning to college for a second season. He’s a Calder favourite coming into next season, and I think that he has a genuine shot of winning it. I think that he’ll start off on the second line until he’s up to speed with the conditioning aspects of the game, and I think that those slightly sheltered minutes will only help his development. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets promoted to the first line however, and I think that he’ll even get a shot at killing penalties as well. I can envision anywhere between 50 to 60 points in his rookie season, with lots of success on the power play, linking with the likes of Eklund, Smith, and Granlund on a regular basis.
Macklin Celebrini has the potential to become a franchise-altering, two-way superstar in the NHL. I can see his ceiling being over a point per game, while also being one of the best defensive forwards in the entire league. Scouts have compared his play style regularly to two players: Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. Obviously, he won’t be Sidney Crosby, but he’s similar to him in the way that they both have no glaring weaknesses, they’re both incredibly competitive, their overall games are both incredibly well-rounded, and that all their tools are impactful and elite. Scouts actually believe that Celebrini could have a higher offensive peak than Toews, with a similar level of defensive brilliance. Just like Crosby and Toews, Celebrini has all the right traits to be an excellent captain in the NHL, and I think he’s the perfect player to take over that role when the time is right.
Celebrini might not reach the same offensive heights as McDavid, MacKinnon, or Bedard, but I envision multiple Selke trophies in his career, similar to the likes of Bergeron and Barkov. Macklin Celebrini is the most excited I've ever been for a Sharks prospect. I genuinely believe that in time, alongside many other promising players featured on this list, he can lead this organization to the promised land. He can lead this club to an achievement that no other Sharks team has managed to do; he can climb the hill that the likes of Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Burns, Nolan, and Couture were unable to climb. Macklin Celebrini can become an icon of the game and a hero to the Bay Area. He can become the greatest San Jose Shark to ever play this beautiful game.
Amazing read!