The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!
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Make sure to check out the San Jose Sharks team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/san-jose-sharks/
To view past 32s go here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/
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The future is certainly teal these days. The San Jose Sharks finished dead last in the NHL with a 20-52-12 record. If you gauged it purely from the “vibes” of the fanbase, it certainly did not feel like it. The Sharks experienced a hyper charge to their youth movement with the admission of 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini into the lineup along with 2023 first rounder Will Smith. William Eklund also enjoyed a nice breakout year, eclipsing the 50 point plateau for the first time.
Finishing last provided the team with another top pick in the draft a year after having the first overall pick, and they landed former OHL exceptional talent Michael Misa to join the fray. This addition adds another layer of depth onto the budding group of young players they already boast, and will certainly bring this team’s potential from very good to great in a hurry. But that’s not to mention other young players like Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, Yaroslav Askarov and several other names that will surely be a major part of this team’s core moving forward. So many members of this team’s future core still have not made the jump to the NHL full-time.
The biggest question for San Jose heading into this season will be how many of these kids will be ready to make the jump. They will need to find the balance of which players can only handle a taste and which ones are ready for full-time duties. Having the veteran depth after several solid signings among both forwards and defense have the potential to push some of those guys down the lineup and create competition in training camp. There will be a push from some of those players, while others have nothing to learn at a lower level and will make sense to stick in the NHL for it to make sense for the team.
While the team would love to take a massive step in the right direction, there are little in the way of expectations this season, which could be a favourable situation to take some sort of step with little to no pressure, especially for a smaller market team in California. The future of the Pacific division could run through California once again, soon enough. It might only be a matter of time, but the Sharks in particular still have some work to do in their player development.
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2025 NHL Draft
Round 1, Pick 2, Michael Misa, C
Ranked by some to be the top player in the draft, Misa fell to the Sharks in the two-hole, allowing them to lock in a dynamic potential first-line superstar to go with the crop they already have. Misa was granted exceptional status to join the Ontario Hockey League at just 15 years old, and it is not hard to see as Misa’s game is explosive and smart. He generates excitement every time he collects the puck. The anticipation of something spectacular blankets the rink, and he often delivers, whether that be with his blazing speed, an excellent set up or his heavy wrist shot. His down ice vision blended with his acceleration puts defenders on their heels, and he always has his route and a plan when carrying the puck. He is always dangerous in the offensive zone and can escape pressure to generate a high danger scoring chance.
Misa joins a talented crop already in the show with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith enjoying their new roles in the NHL. Misa projects as a number one centre and should be able to add another dimension to the Sharks offence and powerplay for years to come. The future became even more teal on draft night with Misa joining the fold.
Round 1, Pick 30, Joshua Ravensbergen, G
Ravensbergen was hailed as the top North American goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s list. His size helps to create a solid foundation to his game, allowing him to rely on his butterfly and lateral movements that cover great amounts of ground. His confidence also shines above the rest, having posted a 2.46 GAA with a 26-4-1 record in his draft minus-one season.
Ravensbergen joins the organization at a time where Yaroslav Askarov looks near ready to take hold of the starter’s crease in San Jose. It gives Ravensbergen time to work his way through the system without being blocked by another elite developing netminder. With his blend of size, compete level and confidence, Ravensbergen has the ceiling of a higher end starting goalie in the NHL. The Sharks will have all the time in the world to get him to that level with Askarov ready to make the jump.
Round 2, Pick 33, Haoxi Wang, LHD
Wang is the type of defender that NHL front offices salivate over. His hulking 6-6 frame blends well with a smooth skating style and good edge work. He is a mobile two-way force on the back who uses his size to close the walls in on attacking players coming up the wing, while his wingspan makes it difficult for wingers to beat him to the outside. The downside is he is a very raw prospect in almost every other area similar to other players with a similar stature. While he boasts a strong hockey IQ, his awareness is not always on par in the defensive zone. Sometimes he gets lost in the defensive zone when under duress with a cycle or or being hemmed in his zone, Wang struggles to have the three-dimensional mobility to adapt.
The upside for Wang is that larger players take longer to develop their skating to coordinate with the rest of the skill set. His decision making and IQ are certainly less teachable than the skills that he does have. At the peak of his potential Wang is a shutdown top-four defenseman who could log significant minutes on the penalty kill.
Round 2, Pick 53, Cole McKinney, C
McKinney might be the most complete player selected by the Sharks in this draft next to Misa. His 61 points in 60 appearances led the way for the US National Training Development Program (NTDP), while displaying a strong two-way presence and on the penalty kill. He is a highly competitive player who, while not the hallmark of his game, will finish his checks and make decisions that usually end up being worth his while. McKinney is not likely to be a star in the NHL, but he is a player with a ton of utility. He stands to become a middle-six NHLer who can play up the lineup in a pinch. His value to the team will be the depth he helps them create in the match-up game and his pure competitiveness.
Round 3, PIck 95, Teddy Mutryn, C
Mutryn plays a highly competitive up-tempo game, and is sometimes borderline violent in his style. He loves to throw the body and shoots the puck from high danger areas in volume. Mutryn knows where the puck is at all times and skates downhill to engage in board battles. His shot makes him a danger from distance and in tight while remaining a dual threat to pass the puck as well. Mutryn can become an NHL player with his competitive drive and offensive ability. He struggles defensively and can be reckless with his physicality at times, which could hold him back from becoming a mainstay on an NHL roster.
Round 4, Pick 115, Ilyas Magomedsultanov, LHD
Magomedsultanov has the potential to be a fun name for the play-by-play commentators in the coming years. His style though might not be as fun in the same sense. His calm and comforting style of play makes him someone coaches lean on to shutdown opposing team’s top players. His physical presence with his 6-2 frame can be intimidating for incoming attackers, but he is reserved and does not always rely on physicality to break up the play. His puck handling and clunky skating are a barrier for him offensively. He does not have the acceleration to escort the puck out and relies sometimes too much on his forwards to retreat for a breakout pass instead of skating it up to a point where he can hit an outlet. He projects as a defensive minded member of a third defensive pair who can log reliable defensive minutes.
Round 4, Pick 124, Zack Sharp, LHD
Another defenceman for the Sharks, Sharp represents a recurring theme in these defensemen as hulking presences on the back end. Like Magomedsultanov, Sharp is a somewhat mobile defender with limited offensive upside. He lacks a strong lateral movement and does not have the same ability Magomedsultanov or Wang have to close out defenders.
Round 5, Pick 150, Max Heise, C
Heise continues another trend for the Sharks, trying to deepen down the middle and the back end. Heise is a talented offensive player with a lanky frame for his size (6-3, 169lbs). He is committed to Michigan State University in the fall where he will have plenty of time to fill out and become a stronger presence down the middle. He will take a while to get up to speed, but once he adds strength and refines his vision to assist his offensive game, Heise could become a bottom of the lineup NHL player.
Round 7, Pick 210, Richard Gallant, LW
Gallant plays a prototypical game for a smaller player standing in at just 5-8. He uses his speed to create separation from defenders and uses the outside of the ice to create a lane to cut back to the inside. He uses a hard stride to get to open ice and cuts back to shake off defenders. A talented offensive player who needs to work on their defensive game is a solid bet to take in the final round of the draft.
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Off-Season Moves
Incoming (Years Remaining, AAV)
Dmitry Orlov – 2 years, $6.5 Million
Jeff Skinner – 1 year, $3 Million
Alex Nedeljkovic – 1 year, $2.5 Million
John Klingberg – 1 year, $4 Million
Nick Leddy – 1 year, $4 Million
Adam Gaudette – 2 years, $2 Million
Ryan Reaves – 1 year, $1.35 Million
Phillip Kurashev – 1 year, $1.2 Million
Oskar Olausson – 1 year, $863k
Shane Bowers – 1 year, $775k
Colin White – 1 year, $775k
Samuel Laberge – 1 year, $775k
Jimmy Huntington – 1 year, $775k
Cole Clayton – 1 year, $775k
Pavol Regenda – 1 year, $775k
Jakub Skarek – 1 year, $775k
Outgoing
Nikolai Kovalenko
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Thomas Bordeleau
Henry Thrun
Daniil Gushchin
Re-Signed (Years, AAV)
William Eklund – 3 years, $5.6 Million
Shakir Mukhamadullin – 1 year, $1 Million
Comments:
The Sharks were one of the busiest teams on July 1, plugging holes around their roster. While it doesn’t turn them into instant contenders, they have done a great job insulating the young and incoming future of the franchise. With a young core in place, veterans like Jeff Skinner, Tyler Toffoli, Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy will certainly provide a secondary punch.
Heading into next summer, the Sharks only have one NHL defenceman under contract (Orlov, $6.5 Million). With some talents such as Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni making their way through the pipeline, the team may be waiting for a bigger 2026 free agency class while simultaneously leaving holes in the roster to not hold their pipeline back. I anticipate younger defenders like Ferraro and Liljegren could be extended while veterans like Klingberg and Leddy could be used as trade bait should the team find itself outside the playoff picture leading up to the trade deadline.
With much more on the way in than out, the Sharks have plenty of assets to continue accruing talent through the draft. Players like Liljegren and Ferraro should have value near the trade deadline should they go that route and could help them to acquire another first round pick should they desire, based on the recent trends of the trade deadline markets.
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In The System
Risers
Sam Dickinson, LHD
Dickinson fell into the laps of the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft with the eleventh pick of the draft. Where some rankings in the hockey world had Dickinson as the top defenseman available on the board, in that context, the Sharks got a steal with the pick, and Dickinson validated those scouts by putting up a monster 92 points in 55 appearances for the Memorial Cup winning London Knights in 2025-26. Dickinson filled his trophy cabinet with several honours in the season, including OHL and CHL defenceman of the year awards.
With an already NHL ready frame (6-3, 205 lbs) at just 19 years old, Dickinson stands to learn more in the NHL than he does returning to the CHL for his age 20 season. He demonstrated fantastic down ice vision to go with a daring yet responsible propensity to join the rush to create offense. His vision is not limited to that either. He is constantly creating and has the potential to become a towering all around physical defender who can contribute on PP1 almost immediately in the NHL. It all comes down to whether the Sharks believe he still has more to learn in junior or if the best route for him would be becoming a full-time NHLer with sheltered minutes to start this fall.
Yaroslav Askarov, G
The team did not do a whole lot to block Askarov from being the front runner for the NHL starter job. Acquiring Alex Nedeljkovic to share the crease, there could be a clear time share for the two if the Russian netminder were to struggle out of the gate. However, he does have the world to gain if he finds his groove early. Now 23 years old, the time is now for him to find his way into the crease to continue his ascension. He is on a short list of up and coming netminders who could become franchise players for their teams. For fantasy managers, acquire now if the ship has not sailed, as it will be departing shortly.
Igor Chernyshov, LW
Chernyshov is a prospect who has been a steady incline since leading off the second round of last year’s draft. The skill is evident after coming over to North America from the MHL, where he dominated in his draft-plus-one season. His near goal-per-game performance and 55 points in his 23 games was an example of him outgrowing the junior game. This may have to do with his sheer size at 6-3, but he was dominant for the Saginaw Spirit.
Chernyshov’s game is pro-ready. His shot is powerful and he has the ability to dish the puck to create plays. He sees the ice very well and knows how to use his size in a way young players are not always able to realize. With a few games of pro experience under his belt already, Chernyshov could find himself on a fast track to make the NHL roster out of camp. In the case he goes back to the Barracuda at the conclusion of training camp, he will almost certainly earn a call-up if he continues on his trajectory. If not early in the season, later on when the young players get a look.
Luca Cagnoni, LHD
Another left shooting defender in the system, Cagnoni challenges Dickinson for the powerplay quarterback of the future. More of an offensive minded defenceman than the latter, Cagnoni cleaned up a lot of defensive blemishes in his first pro season in the AHL. His positionally sound style and mobility lends itself to cover up any shortcomings he may have defensively, which will translate well to the next level. He posted 16 goals and 52 points in 64 games for the Barracuda in 2024-25, and finds himself in a prime position to challenge for a roster spot in 2026-27.
A player with this archetype sometimes falls under the misconception they generate assists and little in the way of their own offense. Cagnoni’s 16 goals and 52 points were both good for third in their respective columns in the entire league. With himself and Dickinson as a 1-2 punch on the left hand side of the defense, the Sharks will have a good problem on their hands to choose which one, or both of them will run the first powerplay unit in the next few seasons.
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Fallers
Filip Bystedt, C
Bystedt is a former first round pick of the Sharks and his fall has been largely his inconsistency and lack of offensive upside compared to his counterparts in the system. 2024-25 represented his first season in North America, and while his 31 points in 50 appearances is solid for the 21-year-old, he still has another gear to reach. And although he has been pushed down the pecking order on the prospect depth chart, Bystedt can still find his way onto the roster and be on the short list for injury call-ups.
Jack Thompson, RHD
Thompson’s inclusion on the faller’s list is not an indictment of him as a player. With a deep and growing system, Thompson’s regular role in the NHL may be in danger if he cannot establish himself quickly next season. With loads of talent on the way on the back end with several NHL contracts in his way, Thompson could find himself in the mushy middle of an NHL lineup as the seventh defenseman. As a right shooting defenseman, the weaker of the two sides for the Sharks, he still stands a good chance of making the roster out of camp to give himself that chance.
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Expected to Start in NHL:
Michael Misa
Sam Dickinson
Yaroslav Askarov
Jack Thompson
Shakir Mukhamadullin
Collin Graf
Likely to See NHL Action:
Igor Chernyshov
Cameron Lund
Filip Bystedt
Zack Ostapchuk
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Top 20 Prospects
This section is intended to paint a picture of the San Jose Sharks prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.
- Michael Misa
- Yaroslav Askarov
- Sam Dickinson
- Igor Chernyshov
- Luca Cagnoni
- Quentin Musty
- Filip Bystedt
- Kasper Halttunen
- Collin Graf
- Mattias Havelid
- Joshua Ravensbergen
- Shakir Mukhamadullin
- Leo Sahlin Wallenius
- Jack Thompson
- Cameron Lund
- Ethan Cardwell
- Zack Ostapchuk
- Oskar Olausson
- Cole McKinney
- Michael Fisher
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Final Thoughts
The San Jose Sharks are the envy of the league right now. A loaded prospect system with burgeoning talent at the top end which could help them compete for a lower end spot in the postseason as early as this season gives them a very malleable position right now.
Patience will be paramount for taking this team to the next level. While top prospects who are on the fringe right now like Dickinson, Cagnoni, Musty and Chernyshov could fail to make the team out of camp, that should not be considered a failure of the organization. Should this team struggle to truly breakthrough, those players will each get their own unique opportunities to do so this season or at next year’s training camp.
Veteran additions will make it harder in the short-term for young players to crack the roster, but long-term allow them enough room to earn those spots to create competition. Never a bad thing.
The starter’s crease is there for Askarov. With nothing between him and the backup role at minimum, if he can find his groove in the early part of the season, he could have a grip on that spot and never relinquish it. With no competition below him, the battle for the crease will be one of the more interesting story-lines to start San Jose Sharks training camp.
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Make sure to check out the San Jose Sharks team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/san-jose-sharks/
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Thanks for reading the 32-in-32 San Jose Sharks! There is a lot to look forward to with this team. If management and coaching play their cards right, a wave of teal will overtake the Pacific Division and quite possibly the NHL sooner rather than later, and as soon as next season.
Sean Crocker