Heading into Day 2, there are still loads of talented players available at the draft, with two picks in the 2nd round. I'm going to be looking at four players, I think the Sharks could target in the 2nd round on Day 2 of the draft, who fit the Sharks' vision or have been falling in the draft.
Blake Fiddler
The big 6’4 right-handed defender spent last season in the WHL for the Edmonton Oil Kings, and was widely viewed as a late first-round pick by most outlets.
According to Elite Prospects “Fiddler’s impact comes through his defensive impact and frequent advantage creation. With explosive backward crossovers, he wins the race to the middle before pivoting and surfing into the stop.”
Fiddler is a rangy defensive defenseman and would fill a significant void in the Sharks' system. They need righties on the backend, and they need size in a big way. Fiddler would go a long way to fill out the cupboards on the backend, and although I love Ravensbergen, if I'm being honest, I would have gone Fiddler before him at 30.
Malcolm Spence
Like Fiddler, many expected Spence to go in the 2nd-half of the first round. The 6’2 winger is known for his mature game and translatable traits.
According to Elite Prospects “When Spence is at his best with his motor at full throttle, he can take over games, connecting with teammates in the offensive zone, roaming the high slot, getting open at the right moment to unleash his one-timer, and relaying his passes to the slot after eluding defenders on the wall.”
While the Sharks do need defense, getting a player like Spence at 33 would be incredible value. He seems like a Grier-type of guy, so I wouldn't be shocked if the Sharks make him the first pick off the board tomorrow, especially since they have mostly ignored need and gone for upside at the draft to this point.
Haoxi (SImon) Wang
Wang is a high-upside defense prospect that could be intriguing to Grier and company. While he hasn’t played a lot of high-level hockey to this point at 6’6, he skates like the wind and has two-way upside down the road.
According to Elite Prospects “In Wang, you get all the advantages of size without the usual drawbacks that come with it. He can flex his lower body, bring his knees over his toes, and drop his upper body at just the right angle to enable fast and smooth lateral pivots, crossovers, and backward strides.”
Wang is definitely a long-term project but has some of the highest upside on the backend in this draft even with tons of risk.
Kurban Limitov
I had Kurban Limitov going to the Sharks at 33 in my mock draft, and I still think he is a good value at the top of the second for the Sharks. Check out my article to learn more about the smooth-skating russian defender.
Sharks still have tons of work to do at tomorrow’s draft, and it will be exciting to see what talent they add tomorrow as the draft continues.