Radim Simek
Grade: B+
Simek represents the diamond in the rough on the blueline, with the nine points in 41 games not accurately describing his importance to the San Jose Sharks.
A player who quietly waited the first third of the regular season, Radim Simek became a blessing to the Sharks defense in a time of desperation.
Simek used his strengths by getting pucks out of the defensive end and neutralizing passes to prevent scoring chances, which made him a perfect fit alongside Burns. His emergence truly solidified San Jose’s top-six defenders.
The 26-year-old rookie played like bread and butter, but his season crumbled with a severe knee injury and ultimately led to San Jose’s demise of defensive consistency heading into the postseason.
There is a ton of promise with Simek. After strength conditioning and summer training, Simek’s potential is through the roof to be a prominent figure on the blue line next season.