San Jose Sharks Draft: Day Two Wrap Up
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The San Jose Sharks were plenty busy this weekend at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in Sunrise, Florida. All-in-all, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson made nine selections during the draft, highlighted by first-round selection Timo Meier and second-round pick Jeremy Roy.
It was a fairly balanced draft by the Sharks as they drafted four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. Here’s a look at the other seven selections San Jose made over the weekend:
– Goaltender Mike Robinson, Third Round, 86th overall
Wilson stated heading into the draft that the Sharks would be drafting a goalie at some point, and Robinson was one of two selected by San Jose. Robinson, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, follows the trend towards larger goaltenders in the NHL. He posted a .937 save percentage with the Boston Junior Rangers last seasone.
Robinson was selected with the compensatory pick that the Sharks received from the Edmonton Oilers after they hired Todd McLellan.
– Left Wing Adam Helewka, Fourth Round, 106th overall
Helewka, who stands 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, was actually eligible for both the 2013 and 2014 drafts but went undrafted in both. However, Helewka kept developing with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and now he’s a member of the Sharks organization.
Helewka, improved his point totals from 27 in his first year with Spokane to 50 in his second, before breaking out with 87 this past season. Cody Nickolet of Dub from Above who covers the WHL had a few things to say about Helewka:
– Defenseman Karlis Cukste, Fifth Round, 130th overall
Cukste, a 6-foot-2 defenseman out of Latvia, already has decent size for the position. Cukste registered seven goals and eight assists while playing for HK Riga of the Russian Junior Hockey League. Cukste has also made multiple appearances for his country in various international tournaments.
– Left Wing Rudolfs Balcers, Fifth Round, 142nd overall
San Jose traveled back to Latvia with their other fifth round selection in nabbing the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Balcers. While playing for the Stavanger Oilers in Norway’s top mens league, Balcers more than held his own with eight goals and 13 assists in 36 games.
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– Defenseman Adam Parsells, Sixth Round, 160th overall
Parsells is a massive prospect standing 6-foot-6 and just over 200 pounds as a high school senior. For someone his size, Parsells was known as a shutdown defenseman, although he did chip in 22 points in 23 games for his high school team.
Parsells, who hails from Wisconsin and was rated by NHL Central Scouting as the 94th best North American prospect, is committed to play for his home state Badgers in 2016-17.
– Center Marcus Vela, Seventh Round, 190th overall
Vela possesses good size for the center position, standing 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. Vela scored 20 goals and 26 assists with the Langley Rivermen of the British Columbia Hockey League, while adding in 57 penalty minutes. Vela will be heading to the University of New Hampshire next season where he will team up with Robinson, San Jose’s third round pick.
Here’s a breakdown of Vela’s game by Curtis Joe of Eliteprospects.com:
"An offensively gifted power center that takes the game as it comes to him. Good hockey sense and possesses the positive character traits that indicate versatility in a lineup; scouts look for these intangibles in players. Decent skating ability, but knows what he can and can’t do. Knows how to direct plays and realizes when and how he can step in to make a difference – whether it be through a little bit of rough stuff or with a clutch goal."
– Goaltender Jake Kupsky, Seventh Round, 193rd overall
San Jose rounded out their draft selecting Kupsky, who’s a massive goaltending prospect. Kupsky is listed at 6-foot-5 and 209 pounds and he should continue to develop into his large frame. Kupsky will be headed to Union College next year, the same university that produced Troy Grosenick who recently inked a new two-year deal with the organization.