Who Might Be Available For the San Jose Sharks Come Draft Time?

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Nikolay Goldobin puts on a team sweater after being selected as the number twenty-seven overall pick to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With the NFL Draft concluding over the weekend, what better time to peak ahead and see who could potentially be an option for the San Jose Sharks in the upcoming NHL Draft in Florida.

Yesterday, Corey Pronman of ESPN, released his top 100 prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft. The Sharks hold the ninth overall selection in this year’s draft and Pronman lists some intriguing prospects who could be available when San Jose’s pick rolls around.

Pronman’s ninth-rated player is Evgeni Svechnikov of Cape Breton in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Svechnikov is a six-foot-three, 205-pound winger who scored 32 goals and 46 assists in 55 games this past season. As Pronman notes, Svechnikov “uses his big frame well to protect the puck and doesn’t shy away from putting physical pressure on his opponents.”

That would seem to fit right in with the Sharks as general manager Doug Wilson mentioned how he wanted to establish a puck possession style of game in San Jose.

Another big bodied option for the Sharks would be Pronman’s 10th overall prospect in Lawson Crouse of Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League. Crouse is slightly bigger than Svechnikov at six-foot-four and 212 pounds, but didn’t match his production. Crouse posted solid numbers with 29 goals and 22 assists in 56 games.

Pronman notes that Crouse’s speed may be his best asset saying, “the way he gets up to to his top gear so quickly is a standout attribute of his game.” San Jose’s lineup could definitely use an infusion of size and speed that Crouse could bring.

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If San Jose wanted to target a playmaking center, Pronman’s 11th-rated prospect in Pavel Zacha of Sarnia in the OHL could be an intriguing option. Zacha, a six-foot-three, 214-pound center battled some injuries but continued to show his offensive prowess. Zacha registered 16 goals and 18 assists in 37 games this past season.

Pronman’s assessment of Zacha states that he is “a pretty skilled playmaker who shows skilled, coordinated puck handling and the vision to make plays.” Zacha could be a player that Wilson covets to slide into the center role at some point in the near future.

Finally, if Wilson coveted a defenseman with San Jose’s first round pick, then Zach Werenski out of Michigan could be a targeted prospect. Werenski, a six-foot-two, 214-pound defenseman, is only 17-years-old but has decent size already and rates as the eighth overall prospect in his draft class.

Werenski registered nine goals and 16 assists in 35 games as a freshman for the Wolverines. As Pronman points out, “He’s a potential top-four D-man, who can also be a first-unit power-play option.” San Jose desperately needs help on the back end, and Werenski sounds like he could fit a Dan Boyle mode with his offensively capabilities, but with more size.

It should be interesting to see which direction San Jose chooses to go when they are on the clock, but there seem to be plenty of nice-sized prospects for the Sharks to choose from. Last season, the Sharks selected Nikolay Goldobin from Russia with the 27th overall pick in the first round.

The 2015 NHL Draft will be held in Florida on June 26 and 27.