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San Jose Sharks Can Find An Impact Player At No. 60

By Mike McCareins

May 5, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; San Jose Sharks center Chris Tierney (50) against the Nashville Predators in game four of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; San Jose Sharks center Chris Tierney (50) against the Nashville Predators in game four of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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One positive for fans of teams that make a long Stanley Cup run is a short offseason and quick turnaround, as the 2016 NHL Draft is merely three days away.

For the San Jose Sharks, acquiring goaltender Martin Jones last summer came at the price of a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but luckily for the Sharks and unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, a Stanley Cup Final run led to that being the 29th pick of the draft.

This is widely considered as a top-heavy and not very deep draft class, and while any first-round pick gives a team the chance to acquire a player to develop for the future, rarely does that player turn out to be what the franchise had hoped for.

Since 2006, only one 29th pick of that year’s draft has recorded more than 12 points in their career (Emerson Etem, 2010).

The Sharks won’t pick until the very end of the second round at No. 60. While it should be even more difficult to find a player who will impact the team for the foreseeable future at No. 60 than it is at No. 29, it’s still very possible, and even more likely to happen, as the recent past has shown.

In fact, 60th overall picks have found more success in recent years than the 29th overall picked players.

The Devils took defenseman Damon Severson at No. 60 in 2011, and the 21 year-old already has 38 points in only 123 NHL games and is a big part of their future defense core.

Minnesota drafted Mario Lucia at 60th overall in 2010, and despite Lucia opting to play college hockey at Notre Dame for three years, he was dominant with the Fighting Irish and scored four points in his first nine AHL games this past season. He figures to make the jump to the NHL at some point next season.

Physical defenseman Stephen Johns went 60th overall in 2010 to Chicago, and he played in every Stanley Cup playoff game this year for Dallas after being involved in the Patrick Sharp deal last summer. He is capable of being a top-four defenseman for the Stars in the future.

Tomas Tatar and Jimmy Hayes went 60th to Detroit and Toronto, respectively, in 2009 and 2008. Tatar has 147 points in his short career and has the potential to be a 300 career goal scorer or so after already recording 73 goals in just 254 games.

It took awhile for Hayes – now a Boston Bruin – to get going in the league, but he has notched 95 career points in 243 games, and despite his struggles this year has shown flashes of top-nine forward potential.

Brandon Dubinsky went 60th in 2003 but has 367 career points in the league and will be a member of Team USA come September’s World Cup of Hockey.

Next: Couture's Playoff Run Made Up For Tough Year

The Sharks in particular have lately found success in the latter half of the second round. San Jose took Chris Tierney 55th overall in 2012 and Matt Nieto 47th in 2011. Both were important role players throughout the season, and Tierney became much more than that in the playoffs, showcasing his skills as a hardworking and physical two-way center scoring nine points in the playoffs with a plus-eight rating.

There are players you can find late in round two that turn out as very good players at the NHL level – hell, Joe Pavelski went in the seventh round – and later this week we’ll take a look at three prospects who the Sharks should target when they are on the clock.

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