San Jose Sharks Make Jump In Prospects Rankings
The San Jose Sharks have toiled near the bottom of the NHL’s organizational rankings with regards to prospects for a few years now. Part of that has been due to general manager Doug Wilson’s penchant for trading away first-round draft picks as he looked to add pieces for a Stanley Cup playoff run, and part of that has been the Sharks have missed on a few draft picks.
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When Wilson shifted the franchise into a rebuilding phase, he has held on to his high-end draft picks and made some solid selections. San Jose has made a first-round pick in four consecutive drafts, although Wilson did trade away the Sharks 2016 first-round selection in exchange for Martin Jones who you could argue is a first-round talent.
Earlier today, Corey Pronman of ESPN released his organizational rankings of all 30 NHL teams and the San Jose Sharks checked in at number 19. The Sharks improved their position by eight spots from Pronman’s rankings at this time in 2014.
San Jose has had strong drafts in both 2014 and 2015 to help boost their rise in the rankings. Here’s Pronman’s analysis of why the Sharks sit at number 19:
"The Sharks system is still the product of some hit-and-miss drafting (their 2013 49th overall pick wasn’t even offered a contract), but they’ve found some great value. The product is a system light on depth but above average in high-upside talent. For example, the Sharks’ first two picks in 2015 become top 100 prospects, while their 149th overall pick in 2014, Rourke Chartier, was outstanding the past season."
The first two picks Pronman refers to from 2015 are first-round selection (number nine overall) Timo Meier and second-round selection (number 31 overall) Jeremy Roy. Meier had a breakout campaign with Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last year as he posted 44 goals, 46 assists and 90 points with 59 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating. Meier is a big, strong winger who could develop into a power forward in San Jose.
Roy, as I’ve chronicled in the past, reminds me of Dan Boyle: an undersized, offensive defensemen who can move the puck up the ice and quarterback a power play from the back end.
Also, the 2014 draft was a highly successful one for the Sharks as first-round pick Nikolay Goldobin could push for a roster spot in 2015-16, while second-round selections Julius Bergman and Noah Rod appear to be developing nicely.
However, the steal of the class is Chartier, a fifth-round pick at number 149 overall, who exploded for 48 goals and 34 assists in 58 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
While the Sharks still have plenty of room for improvement throughout their farm system, San Jose has done a nice job of stockpiling some high-end talent which should pay dividends in the upcoming years to come.
Next: Three Sharks Prospects Participate In World Junior Showcase