The Sharks just wrapped up their 2025 Rookie Faceoff, winning both of their games over the Kings and Ducks for their second straight sweep of the event. In this article, I'm going to give my individual thoughts on each player and what I saw in the games. I will be looking at the Forwards only today.
The Forwards
Quentin Musty
It was an excellent tournament for Musty, who was dynamic in both games. This is to be expected at this point, but what I loved seeing was his off-puck play and physicality, evident in both games. This is precisely what I have been wanting out of Musty, and it will be interesting to see if he can carry over this effort level into the season.
Filip Bystedt
Bystedt didn’t light it up offensively for the Sharks this weekend, but he was probably their most NHL-ready player, aside from Graf ( who has 40 NHL games already). His defensive details were on point, and while he may never be a huge scorer at the highest level, he is finally starting to look the part of a 3rd line center. A promising sign for his development. It will be interesting to see if he can win a center job out of camp.
Cam Lund
Lund had a strong first game offensively before being taken out by a high hit late in the first game. It remains to be seen how much time he will miss and how it could hurt him heading into the season. Lund would benefit from some time with the Cuda to round out his game, but there are some nice tools that could get him a look this season.
Michael Misa
Misa started slowly in both games but picked up as the game progressed. The Dynamism offensively is evident, and he is undoubtedly talented enough from a skill perspective for the NHL, but if he is going to stay for a full season, the pace of his game needs to improve. Misa could benefit from some time on the wing as he adjusts, similar to Will Smith last season.
Igor Cheryshov
Cheryshov was relatively quiet in both games, but made some nice plays. The big winger has a lot of tools, but definitely could use some time in the AHL to get up to a pro-level pace of play.
Collin Graf
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Graf was the Sharks' most consistent offensive forward; he consistently found himself with time and space in the offensive zone and made plays both with his shot and playmaking. It was a nice tune-up for Graf, but as an older player with NHL experience, he is expected to dominate.
Carson Wetsch
Wetsch may not bring a lot to the table offensively, but he was physical all weekend and played a strong north-south game, and is not afraid to drive the net. He has the makings of an NHL 4th liner down the road for the Sharks.
Teddy Mutryn
Mutryn showed some good details and versatility playing both center and wing for the Sharks this weekend. Like Wetsch, there is a limited ceiling offensively, but I could see him getting an NHL job down the road.
Kasper Halttunen
Halttunen is a player who, similar to Musty, showed a lot of progress in the weak areas of his game. While the shot is still the calling card, his playmaking looked significantly better, and he was more engaged physically. Heading into his first pro season, he is going to have to carry these improvements to the pro game to make a significant impact.
Max Heise
Heise was solid for the Sharks, playing with detail and physicality down the middle. Despite the lack of offense, he possesses traits that could earn him a spot in NHL games down the line.