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Corey Pronman details what to expect from the San Jose Sharks’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system. This page will be updated throughout the 2024 NHL Draft.
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2024 Draft Grade: A+
San Jose got a lot accomplished this weekend for the future of their franchise. Obviously, they took the consensus No. 1 pick in Macklin Celebrini, who is a projected star No. 1 center. After Celebrini, though, they went to work. Dickinson, at 11, is a projected great NHL defenseman. On Day 2, they snagged up Igor Chernyshov and Leo Sahlin Wallenius in the second round; I think they can be legit NHL players on the wing and defense, respectively. I could see anywhere from two to four NHL regulars coming out of this class for San Jose, and real potential impact from those players.
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Draft Class
1. Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston Univ. (NCAA)
June 13, 2006 | 6′ 0″ | 196 pounds
Tier: Elite NHL player
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: High-end
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: High-end
Player comparable: Sidney Crosby
Analysis: Celebrini was the best player in college hockey this season and a leader for a top team in the country. He checks every box you want in a top prospect, and is one of the few players I’ve scouted where it’s hard to see any noticeable weakness. He skates very well. He has a very powerful stride with a quick twitch in his first few steps and is able to get by a lot of defenders. He’s extremely skilled and creative with high-end offensive sense. Celebrini makes a ton of difficult plays with the puck on the move, in tight areas and from a standstill. He has a bullet shot and projects to run a first power play in the NHL. He’s average-sized, but Celebrini is highly competitive, wins a lot of battles and projects as a two-way center in the NHL. He has all the makings of a potential superstar that you can build a contender around.
Pick grade: B+
Thoughts on the pick: Celebrini is one of the best and most complete prospects I’ve ever seen. He checks every box with emphasis between his skating, skill, hockey sense, compete and scoring ability. He looks like a no doubt two-way first line center one day in the NHL who the Sharks can form their rebuild around. He was the consensus first pick all season for a reason.
11. Sam Dickinson, LHD, London Knights (OHL)
June 7, 2006 | 6′ 3″ | 203 pounds
Tier: Top of the lineup player
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Player comparable: Noah Hanifin
Analysis: Dickinson was a major minutes player on a great London team. It’s easy to envision him having a long NHL career. He’s a 6-foot-3 defenseman who is one of the best skaters in the draft. He has an explosive, fluid stride that easily picks up power. He breaks up plays and closes gaps easily due to his skating and creates so much possession time for his team. Dickinson is very skilled at handling the puck, and often creates chances due to the combo of his skating and skill. He also has a hard slap shot from the point and projects to score a good number of goals in the NHL. He has offense and can make some tough plays but I wouldn’t say it’s his vision that gets you excited about his game. Even with that in mind, in terms of what he could be in the league, I see a player with PP2 potential who could have a major impact at even strength.
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Pick grade: B+
Thoughts on the pick: The Sharks have to be very happy with how the draft played out for them. They get a potential top pair two-way defenseman in Dickinson to go alongside Macklin Celebrini in the same class. They traded up to 11 to secure a premier defense prospect and were able to accomplish that.
33. Igor Chernyshov, LW, Dynamo Moskva (KHL)
November 30, 2005 | 6′ 2″ | 196 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Ilya Mikheyev
Analysis: Chernyshov was very good at the junior level in Russia and earned ice time up in the KHL with a regular shift for a top team in Dynamo Moscow. He’s a big, powerful winger who skates well and has a lot of offensive creativity. He beats defenders routinely with his one-on-one plays, sees the ice well and can create at the net. He’s not going to run players over with his physical play, but he uses his body to create offense. He has the ability to control play at even strength due to his variety of tools and looks the part of a potential strong top-six winger in the NHL.
53. Leo Sahlin Wallenius, LHD, Växjö Lakers HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
April 10, 2006 | 6′ 0″ | 183 pounds
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Erik Brannstrom
Analysis: Sahlin Wallenius isn’t the biggest defenseman but he’s a very solid two-way player who was the leading player on Sweden’s U18 team this season. He’s one of the best skaters in the draft. He has a powerful and efficient stride that allows him to easily evade pressure and skate pucks up ice. He closes on checks well and is great coming back on pucks in a way that should translate to pro hockey. Sahlin Wallenius has good hands and vision and can shoot the puck well, too, even though he doesn’t project as a major scorer at the higher levels. The sum of his parts looks like a regular NHL defenseman.
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82. Carson Wetsch, RW, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
May 4, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 201 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Wetsch didn’t put up huge numbers in the WHL this season, but I liked him often when I watched his games. He was also an important part of Canada’s U18 team in the summer and spring. Wetsch’s game is defined by his speed and energy. He isn’t the most skilled player in the world and isn’t huge, but he’s always around the puck. He’s a quick skater who closes on plays well, but it’s how hard he works that makes him so noticeable. He’s hard on every puck and wins a ton of battles. That he has good hands and vision and can make some plays allows him to be an effective forward. He has the ability to kill penalties and be a trusted two-way bottom-six wing in the NHL.
116. Christian Kirsch, G, Zug U20 (U20-Elit)
June 18, 2006 | 6′ 4″ | 192 pounds
131. Colton Roberts, RHD, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
June 8, 2006 | 6′ 4″ | 205 pounds
Tier: Has a chance to play games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Roberts played a big role for Vancouver this season, lining up on both special teams. He’s an athletic defenseman who skates well for his size. He has NHL straight-ahead speed and good enough four-way mobility and first-step quickness to skate at the pro level. Roberts’ game isn’t overly flashy. He shows some skill as a puckhandler and passer and can make the odd tough play but I wouldn’t call him overly offensive. He can create with his feet and leads the odd rush. Defensively, he uses his length to break up plays and has some physicality. If his puck play gets more consistent, he could get games.
143. Nate Misskey, RHD, Victoria Royals (WHL)
January 12, 2005 | 6′ 3″ | 198 pounds
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Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Misskey played a ton of minutes for Victoria this season and has progressed well since being picked in the third round in his WHL Bantam Draft. He is a tall right-shot defenseman who can move pucks well enough. I don’t think he’s a standout with the puck, but he sees the ice well and can make some tough plays. Misskey also has a hard point shot he can generate offense from. His skating is heavy and is his main problem in his NHL projection. He does compete quite hard and has a lot of physical play in his game which makes me think he has a real chance to overcome his lack of mobility and get NHL games.
194. Yaroslav Korostelyov, G, SKA St. Petersburg Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)
August 7, 2005 | 6’2″ | 187 pounds
Analysis
You can’t mess up a draft when you’ve got the No. 1 pick, and the Sharks got off to a rousing start with their slam-dunk selection of Macklin Celebrini, whom they believe is their next star center and the potential leader of their next era as they make a rise back to relevance. But this draft isn’t only about the one-time Jr. Shark who’s already been given his No. 71, which he wore at Boston University.
It will be interesting to see who has the better career between Sam Dickinson and Zeev Buium. Buium, the defensive star of NCAA champion Denver last season, fell out of the top 10 and was there for the taking as San Jose moved up three spots with a trade Thursday to get in position for a dynamic blueliner. Chris Morehouse, the Sharks’ director of amateur scouting, was adamant that the polished Dickinson was their guy. Dickinson’s offensive game exploded for the OHL champion and Memorial Cup runner-up London Knights.
The Sharks started Day 2 with big left-wing Igor Chernyshov, who popped up as a late first-round pick on several prognosticating lists, and made another savvy add later in the second round with smooth-skating defender Leo Sahlin Wallenius, who also has NHL upside. Dickinson and Wallenius aren’t the only choices to fortify the Sharks’ defense pool as picks were invested in Colton Roberts and Nate Misskey 12 selections apart in the fifth round.
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And with nine picks in all, San Jose got the goaltending position covered by taking Christian Kirsch (Switzerland) and Yaroslav Korostelyov (Russia). The Sharks hit a home run with Celebrini and could have another if Dickinson evolves into a top-pair rearguard, perhaps even their future No. 1 defender. Finding a third or fourth NHL regular from this group can turn this draft into a watershed one. — Eric Stephens
(Photo of Macklin Celebrini with the Sharks organization: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
