When the San Jose Sharks traded up from 14 to 11, there were questions about who the Sharks wanted badly enough to trade up prematurely. The answer we ended up with is Sam Dickinson, a defenseman from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. This is a good value pick for someone projected to go in the top 10; there's a lot to like about this selection. There's some great value here for the team in teal.
Dickinson is a left-shot, so it doesn't give the Sharks the answer they need on the right, but there are still plenty of players available when the Sharks return to the field to resume day two. What Dickinson does offer is a pedigree defenseman who will be the potential Norris contender on the Sharks blueline for the future. He's under the pressure of being the heir to Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson's successes in the iconic teal sweater.
Dickinson needs development, so it will be a few years before we see him at the NHL level. Likely to report back to the London Knights next season, he needs to gain more muscle to fill out his 6'3 frame. At 200 lbs, he's not a small man, but you'd expect to see him gain another 20 lbs of muscle before reporting to the big club. San Jose needs to be patient with this player.
With the Knights last year, he played 18 games, recording 18 goals and 52 assists for 70 points. I remind you again, this is a defenseman. Brilliant offensively, great size and height, and silky skating ability make this a player that is appreciated throughout the league. There's a lot of great players available in the morning when the Sharks reopen the draft proceedings in Las Vegas, so we'll see more great talents come to the Bay Area.