San Jose Sharks: Top Three Sharks Prospects In OHL
Recently, we’ve taken a look at some of the top prospects for the San Jose Sharks, and today, we continue that focus with a look at San Jose’s top three prospects in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
According to OHL Prospects, defenseman Julius Bergman and forwards Dylan Sadowy and Kevin Labanc represent the top three prospects for the San Jose Sharks in the OHL.
Let’s start with Bergman, who is probably the closet one to featuring with the Sharks. Bergman was the 46th overall selection (second round) of San Jose in the 2014 draft and he stands six-foot-one and 194 pounds.
According to OHL Prospects, Bergman has the potential to develop into a solid second-pair blue liner at the NHL level. He can push the puck up the ice, which has been a focus of general manager Doug Wilson.
Last year, Bergman scored 13 goals and 29 assists in 60 games with the London Knights, including 78 penalty minutes and a minus-three rating. Look for Bergman to play his games at SAP Center in 2015-16 as he should find plenty of ice time with the San Jose Barracuda.
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Next up is Sadowy, who is characterized as “one of the OHL’s most underrated players.” Sadowy has steadily improved in each of his three seasons with the Saginaw Spirit, going from eight points in 61 games during the 2012-13 seasons, to 36 points (27 goals and nine assists), to 74 points (42 goals and 32 assists) in 65 games last year.
As OHL Prospects points out, Sadowy is one of the top penalty killers in the league, registering seven shorthanded goals last year, and if he continues his current trajectory, he could push to eclipse the 90-point barrier.
Also, Sadowy was one of three San Jose prospects to participate in Team Canada’s World Junior Showcase at the beginning of August where he registered two assists in two games.
Finally, Labanc is a prospect who broke out in a big way last season with the Barrie Colts. After scoring 35 points in 65 games during the 2013-14 season, Labanc registered 107 points (31 goals and 76 assists) in 68 games last year.
With those jump in numbers, it’s obvious to see that Labanc increased his skill set and improved on the offensive end of the ice. It will be interesting to see how Labanc performs next season to see if he’s closer to the player he was in hist first year, or the player who performed very well during his second.
Labanc finished sixth in the entire OHL last season, part of the reason why the Sharks selected Labanc in the sixth round, number 171 overall, during the 2014 draft.
Next: Sharks Place Four Prospects In Top 100 Rankings