San Jose Sharks Place Four Prospects In Top 100 Rankings
In recent years, the San Jose Sharks have lacked some real high-end prospects throughout their farm system; however, San Jose has seen an influx of talent enter their organization throughout the past couple of draft classes.
Today, Corey Pronman of ESPN released his Top 100 rankings and the Sharks placed four prospects on that list. Headlining the group is defenseman Jeremy Roy who ranks number 48 overall. Roy was a second-round pick, number 31, by the San Jose Sharks during the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Here’s Pronman’s take on what makes Roy a top prospect:
"Roy has been one of the better defensemen in the QMJHL over the last two seasons, putting up big points and shot numbers. He was also Canada’s top defenseman at the Under-18 championships. He’s a very smart, calm presence on defense with above-average puck skills and mobility. Roy isn’t the biggest defender, but his work ethic and hockey sense allows him to make a lot of plays in his own end."
Next up on the list are the Sharks past two number one draft picks in forwards Nikolay Goldobin (2014) at number 62 and Timo Meier (2015) at number 67. The two forwards couldn’t be more different.
Goldobin, listed at six-feet and 185 pounds, is a skilled offensive player who can make something out of nothing in many instances. Goldobin pushed for a roster spot last season, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him make the Sharks roster this year. His creativity could be added to a San Jose team that struggled to score at times during the 2014-15 season.
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On the other hand, Meier is a big, strong prospect who impressed many in organization with his performance during San Jose’s development camp. While Meier doesn’t possess the flash that Goldobin does, his speed and work ethic should allow Meier to continue to develop the offensive side of his game. He already possesses NHL size at six-foot-one and 209 pounds and he could see the big leagues as early as the 2016-17 season.
The final prospect on the list is the one with the best name to say in Rourke Chartier, who finds himself at number 80. While being a bit undersized, Pronman said that Chartier is “a pretty good skater, with a solid possession skill base, and a great two-way work ethic.” That seems to fit right in with the style of play that general manager Doug Wilson and head coach Peter DeBoer would like to see.
Last year, San Jose placed only one prospect on Pronman’s list with Mirco Mueller checking in at number 40 and Goldobin just missing the cut, so you can see how the Sharks have drafted well in recent years. For reference, Pronman rated the Sharks 19th as an entire organization in terms of prospects, an eight spot jump from where they sat at this time last year.
They are still struggling in overall franchise depth, but they do have some talented prospects that should see action at the NHL level in the near future.
Next: San Jose Makes Jump In Prospects Rankings