San Jose Sharks Draft: Who’s San Jose Top Prospect?
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addresses the crowd before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the offseason has hit a bit of a lull with the NHL Draft and free agent frenzy behind us, let’s take a look back at the recent draft picks of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks had a solid draft, especially at the top in adding Timo Meier and Jeremy Roy with their first two picks.
So, where do Meier and Roy fit within the hierarchy of the Sharks organizational prospects?
According to Corey Pronman of ESPN, Roy can now be considered as San Jose’s top prospect. Pronman thinks very highly of Roy, Meier and 2014 first-round prospect Nikolay Goldobin, who could challenge for a roster spot next year. Here’s what Pronman had to say when assessing why Roy was his choice:
"I don’t see a clear top guy in the Sharks’ system, and in my mind Jeremy Roy, 2015 ninth overall pick Timo Meier and last year’s first-rounder Nikolai Goldobin are all close to each other as very good prospects. I see a case for any of those three as the No. 1. I lean Roy just because I think he has the highest ceiling of them all, and his track record the past few seasons has been extremely impressive."
Now Pronman ranked Roy as the highest rated of all three heading into their respective drafts. Pronman ranked Roy as his 19th overall prospect, Meier as his 26th overall prospect, and Goldobin 28th. The biggest discrepancy is Pronman’s evaluation of Meier, whom many had as a top-10 or top-15 prospect.
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Meier had a breakout campaign with Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with 44 goals and 46 assists in 61 games. He already has an NHL-type body and should be able to physically adapt to the size and speed of the NHL game.
Roy is a right-handed, offensive blue-liner who can skate and lead the rush. Roy might remind Sharks fans of fellow under-sized defenseman Dan Boyle, who possesses many of the similar traits of Roy. In 46 games with Sherbrooke of the QMJHL, Roy registered five goals and 38 assists last season.
Finally, Goldobin is an offensively creative player who could find his way on to the Sharks roster at some point during the upcoming season. Goldobin began his season overseas, but concluded his season with the Worcester Sharks. In nine games in Worcester, Goldobin scored three goals and added two assists.
The opinions will vary on these three prospects, but it’s clear the Sharks have added three very talented individuals at the top of their organization who should be able to help at the NHL level fairly soon.