Do the Sharks have the deepest NHL Prospect Pool in the NHL? (Top 5 Breakdown)
To say the Mike Grier has performed miracles on the San Jose sharks lineup since his hiring on July 5th 2022, would be understating his value.
Of course he got Macklin Celebrini handed to him on a silver platter, but his trades and drafting with the team have been incredible.
Partner that with the fact that the Sharks own both the 2nd and 9th overall picks in this year’s 2026 NHL draft.
This means that their prospect pool could go from one of the deepest in the NHL to arguably the best with just a few picks.
Even before those selections are made, San Jose already has an incredible pipeline of young talent waiting to make an impact.
For this I will be going over the top 5 prospects for the sharks in my personal opinion.
You might scratch your head at the term prospect here as some of these players have already played some games in a sharks uniform, but rest assured they are still considered prospects.
For me personally I define prospects as players who have played under 82 games in the NHL. I say this because I believe personally that players don't truly develop until they've played a full season, and until then they're still prospects.
This also leads to another point, since a player and goalie adapt and improve at different stages they have different cutoffs for being considered a prospect in my eyes. For a goalie the cutoff for being a prospect for me is 23 years old, for players the cutoff age is 22.
Starting at number one is the former second overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Michael Misa.
Misa is a 6’1 19 year old Canadian winger and centre who has dealt with some minor injury setbacks, but when healthy he looks like a future star with the ability to play top six minutes and play an important role on a Stanley Cup contending team.
During his draft season with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL, he captained the team while putting up an incredible 134 points in just 65 games. Where he ended up scoring 62 goals and adding 72 assists.
Those numbers alone show just how dominant he was at the junior level, but they only tell part of the player that he is.
His skating is among the best from his draft class, using great edge work and quick acceleration to make his way past defenders and create space.
When you combine that with his smooth hands where he dekes players out of their skates and elite hockey IQ, and the fact that he can definitely shoot the puck and was one of the best shot creators in his draft it is easy to see why he was viewed as a possible franchise player in the shark's eyes.
Misa constantly creates offence for both himself and his teammates. He is just as dangerous carrying the puck through the neutral zone as he is setting up a teammate for an easy scoring chance as we saw when he played in the World Juniors with Canada.
Misa also has the ability to read the play before it develops allows him to make smart decisions with the puck, something very few players his age can consistently do.
Looking ahead, I think he projects as the perfect long term partner for Will Smith if Smith moves down to the second line when and if Ivar Stenberg gets drafted then Misa has an incredible winger to finish off his high IQ plays.
Even if the Sharks decide to keep a similar lineup instead, pairing Misa with Colin Graf, he could also be an excellent fit and would give San Jose another dangerous scoring line.
When you look at misa's player card below, the first thing that stands out from Misa’s player card is his 62nd percentile WAR.
This means that he was more valuable than roughly 62 percent of NHL forwards during his rookie season.
WAR, or Wins Above Replacement, estimates how many wins a player adds compared to a replacement level player, making it one of the best ways to measure a player’s overall impact beyond simply looking at goals and assists.
Considering Misa averaged just 12:49 of ice time per game while returning from injury, finishing above league average is extremely encouraging.
He was deployed in a sheltered role, yet he still produced positive results at even strength while ranking in the 58th percentile offensively, the 67th percentile defensively, and the 65th percentile in finishing.
Those numbers suggest his game is already translating to the NHL despite limited opportunities. As he earns more ice time, tougher matchups, and eventually a larger role on the power play, there is every reason to believe those numbers will continue to improve.
If that happens, the Sharks could have another franchise player to build around alongside Macklin Celebrini.
Coming in at number two is Igor Chernyshov.
Chernyshov, standing at 6’3” and drafted 33rd overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, brings an ideal combination of size, skill, and offensive creativity.
I think it is fair to say that Igor Chernyshov is one of the most underrated prospects in the Sharks organization. He only has one professional season under his belt, but he has already shown flashes of becoming a legitimate top six winger at the NHL level.
He is incredibly composed with the puck and has the patience to wait for the right play instead of forcing passes or shots.
His heavy release makes him a constant scoring threat, but he is just as dangerous as a playmaker. Whether he is carrying the puck through the neutral zone or creating chances in the offensive zone, he consistently makes smart decisions and uses his size to protect the puck.
Looking at his player card, you can see that his biggest strength is his offense at even strength.
His 62nd percentile EVO shows that he creates offence at an above average rate, while his 56th percentile WAR proves he was already providing more value than the average NHL forward.
This came despite averaging only 15:03 of ice time per game, making those numbers even more impressive.
He also posted a 54.6 percent expected goals percentage, which ranked in the 65th percentile. That tells you the Sharks generated more quality scoring chances than they allowed whenever Chernyshov was on the ice.
His defensive game still has room to improve, but that is expected from a young offensive winger early in his professional career.
Personally I think if his development continues on its current path, he could have high top six potential and thus could become one of the biggest steals from the 2024 NHL Draft.
For the third prospect I have Sam Dickinson.
Sam Dickinson is a 6’3” left shot defenseman who I think has all the tools to become San Jose’s number one defenseman.
Drafted 11th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, Dickinson has all the potential to become a franchise defenseman for the sharks.
Dickinson is one of the best skating defensemen outside of the NHL. For a player his size, he moves smoothly across the ice and can impact the game in every situation.
His skating allows him to shut down rushes defensively while also joining the attack and creating offense from the back end.
Looking at his numbers with the London Knights, where he put up an incredible 91 points in 55 games as a defenseman before adding another 31 points in 17 playoff games, you can definitely see he has the capability to become that true number one left defenseman.
Those numbers are really insane for any defenseman, let alone one who is still developing. You'd expect to see those numbers as a highly rated offensive prospect not a defensive one.
I think that he just needs the seasoning and time to continue progressing at the professional level and make it to that higher level of play that the sharks require from him.
He is also reliable defensively. He transitions the puck extremely well, makes smart breakout passes, and is not afraid to jump into the rush offensively.
He has the ability to play in every situation, whether it is on the power play, penalty kill, or protecting a lead late in the game.
Those are the types of defensemen every Stanley Cup contender wants, and Dickinson has the potential to anchor the Sharks blue line for the next decade if developed properly.
With the addition of Michael Kesselring who was just aquired from the Buffalo Sabres, I think pairing him with Dickinson makes a lot of sense.
Kesselring is a more defensive minded defenseman, which allows Dickinson to show off his offensive IQ and skating ability knowing that he has someone back to cover for him.
I think their play styles complement each other really well and if all goes well next year, they could be a very solid second pairing competing for a more time on ice.
4th on the board is goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen.
Goaltenders usually take longer to develop than skaters, but Ravensbergen has all the physical tools to become a legitimate NHL starter.
As a 6'4 19 year old that was drafted 30th overall in 2025 the big net minder moves exceptionally well for his size and plays with a calmness that you rarely see from young goalies.
I got my first experience watching him play in Prince George on his highlight reels where he just seemed so cool and collected, something that is always a good sign when scouting goalies.
More importantly as a goalie he also tracks the puck extremely well, stays square to shooters, and doesn’t overcommit when facing odd man rushes and scramble plays.
Looking at his numbers, you can see that he has the ability to carry a team and handle a heavy workload.
He finished the season with a 32 and 13 record while posting a .919 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average.
These are outstanding numbers, especially considering the amount of games he played. Even in the WHL winning 32 games as a starting goaltender is also not something to take lightly.
He has shown throughout his junior career that he knows how to win, and that is exactly the type of goalie every organization wants in its system.
Last but certainly certainly not least is Quentin Musty.
Drafted 26th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, Musty the 20 year old American left winger has set out to prove himself worth of that high pick.
Musty has an incredible ability to create offence. He has a heavy shot, protects the puck well, and is not afraid to drive the middle of the ice.
He also has underrated playmaking ability, allowing him to create chances for his teammates as well as finish them himself.
After dominating the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves, where he recorded 59 points in just 33 games.
Musty made the jump to the AHL full time in 2025-26. Playing against much older and stronger competition, he finished the season with 45 points in 61 games, including 21 goals and 24 assists.
Those are impressive numbers for a 20 year old still adjusting to professional hockey and lead me to believe he can contribute to the big club sooner rather then later.
I think with that Musty still has another level to his game once he reaches the NHL.
With another year of development in the AHL, I believe he has all the tools to become a consistent top-six winger for San Jose and another key piece of the Sharks young core.
Mike Grier has completely transformed the future of the San Jose Sharks in just a few seasons.
Between landing franchise talents like Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa, drafting high end players such as Sam Dickinson and Quentin Musty, and adding potential stars in Igor Chernyshov and Joshua Ravensbergen, the sharks have a strong step in the right direction.
It doesn't stop there for the sharks, as they won the second draw and own the second overall and ninth overall picks still to come in this year’s draft, there is a very real chance that prospect pool gets even stronger.
Mike Grier has done an incredible job rebuilding this organization from the ground up, turning what was once one of the weakest prospect systems in hockey into one of its deepest.
If these young players continue to develop the way they have so far, the Sharks have all the pieces needed to go from a rebuilding team to a legitimate playoff contender in the Western Conference over the next few seasons.
I truly believe that with these prospects and the entire overhaul, the Sharks are becoming more and more dangerous and can soon compete for multiple stanley cups as a possible dynasty.
#ThefutureistealLet me know your thoughts down below.
Sources used throughout this article include HockeyAlchemy, and Elite Prospects. Credit goes to these sources for the statistics, player cards, draft information, and graphics used to support the analysis in this article.
Thank you for reading ThePerspectiveOnPucks.
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