Christian Kirsch becomes a San Jose Shark in the fourth round of the draft

In the fourth round, the San Jose Sharks used pick 116 overall to take goaltender Christian Kirsch. Adding another dart to the thinnest area of the prospect pool is an excellent pickup by Mike Grier and the San Jose Sharks. Kirsch offers many different attributes that some of the netminders in the pipeline don't possess. He'll be different, and that is a good thing because multiple players who possess the same attributes can produce a logjam within the pipeline.

At 6'4, this is already a giant kid. The Swiss goaltender will come across to the USHL next year to look at the development program before joining the NCAA in Massachussets. His unique path to the professional game has to be admired, and a goaltender can provide value late in the draft because they are entirely unpredictable. This could be a star netminder or a complete miss.

Something to remember here is goaltenders take a bit longer to develop. There shouldn't be any worry if he isn't NHL-ready in three years; leave him to continue refining his game before giving him the pressure of being the backstop of an NHL franchise. He needs patience, as any netminder would. Give him time to become a faithful netminder before making him out to be the future of the crease for the team in teal. He needs time.

We're a long way from seeing the kid in the big leagues. We'll need to wait because his sub-.900 save percentage for the Swiss national team isn't building confidence. There's a lot not to like here, but it is essential to remember that this kid is still 18. Goaltenders are heavily affected by the netminders in front of them, but he could not prove to be something. If not, it's only a fourth-round pick. Oh well.