Collin Graf

July 2025 – Graf had a fantastic first full season in the Sharks organization. Most players that play their next season in the AHL or NHL after college struggle, but Graf excelled. In 29 games, playing until the end of December, he had 26 points. Graf was then up and down for January and February, being sent to the AHL for just over a week in January and some of the Four Nations break. In those six games he had six points. The Sharks could not keep him in the AHL and they only sent him down when their season was a few games from being over, to make sure he qualified for the AHL playoffs. Graf had 13 points in 40 NHL games, including a streak of five points in five games, as he bounced around the line up. As the season wore on his average ice time increased and so did his responsibility. In the playoffs Graf had five points in six games as the Barracuda were dispatched rather quickly. He showed he can be defensively responsible, though he could look to add meat to his frame. The main issue with Graf is his preference to pass instead of shoot. In the AHL he shot just over two shots per game and in the NHL that decreased to just over one shot per game. NHL teams and goaltenders picked up on that, often at times neutering his attack. He will need to apply more pressure and shoot more, but Graf has shown that he could have the ability to be a top six winger on the Sharks. Pat Quinn

May 2024 – After two dominant seasons in the NCAA, it was more than time for Graff to take the next step and sign with an NHL organization. He did so on April 4th when he decided to join the San Jose Sharks. Like many NCAA free agents, Graf burned his first year of contract by playing seven games with the Sharks at the end of last season. It was difficult for him in those games, posting a miserable 30% expected goals for. This awful result could be due to the horrific roster the Sharks had in those games and simply a lack of adaptation on his part. It will be very exciting to see what he can do this season in a more competitive league. Cédrick Blais-Turcotte