With the 82nd overall pick, the San Jose Sharks traded up from 85 to select right-winger Carson Wetsch from the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Wetsch is a powerful skater and tall winger who continues to offer strong support to the emerging core of the future the San Jose Sharks are trying to build. San Jose gets another strong forward that can add a physical and nasty aspect to the organization they currently lack for the core.
In 67 games with the Hitmen last year, Wetsch tallied 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points in the most symmetrical fashion. A cousin of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers, he's a very north-south player who loves to play a direct style of hockey. With his size, it's natural for him, and it's a situation where he will have talent around him if he ever makes it to the NHL that could complement his style of play.
He's still multiple years away from being ready for even the Barracuda, but this is a player that could become a Shark if he can continue to develop. He's unlikely to become a top-six threat that will blast the lights out, but a bottom-six physical presence is still possible for Wetsch. It's not what you're looking for in the draft, but you need it to be a great team.
This is the first Sharks pick that could be seen as a little iffy, but based on the picks before this, you have to accept that it will happen and trust Grier. It's been a good event for the team in teal at this point, and this is still something that could work long-term. He's not the flashy option, but Grier's done well enough to benefit from the doubt regarding the draft floor. Time will see if it was the right decision.