Ranking the San Jose Sharks' Top 10 Prospects
Last season, one of the brightest points for the San Jose Sharks was the emergence of Tomas Hertl as a bona fide NHLer in his first year in North America.
The team, however, needs more help, particularly if it wishes to transition responsibility to younger skaters. What does it have in the system?
The following slideshow ranks the team's 10 best Calder-eligible prospects and provides capsule scouting reports. Prospects are primarily ranked based on their potential NHL ceiling, but the amount of risk involved in that projection is also a significant factor in this list.
10. Taylor Doherty
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Profile: Taylor Doherty's been in the Sharks system seemingly forever, first joining the club as a second-round pick back in 2009. A 6'8" monster, Doherty brings an elite-level physical game, but he's not a fast skater, and he isn't overly gifted with the puck either.
Risk factor: Doherty now has three AHL seasons under his belt, all without getting an NHL recall. We can be sure he's a pro but unsure about where he fits into an NHL team's plans.
NHL projection: Third-pair defenceman.
9. Julius Bergman
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Profile: ESPN's Corey Pronman (subscription required) describes Julius Bergman as a potentially high-end defensive defenceman despite a lack of big size, saying that "he plays hard and wins battles." Smart and capable of moving the puck, he's a long-term project.
Risk factor: We're in the early days and looking at a player with a somewhat-unique skillset. There's a lot of risk here.
NHL projection: Second-pair defenceman.
8. Dylan DeMelo
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Profile: Dylan DeMelo's best skill is his offensive ability, though his numbers at the OHL level were never overwhelming. He's not especially big and not especially mean, but he's intelligent and progressing his way up the AHL depth chart.
Risk factor: DeMelo's transition to the bigger, faster NHL is the question mark; he may not have enough talent to survive in a significant role.
NHL projection: Third-pair defenceman.
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7. Matt Tennyson
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Profile: Matt Tennyson has NHL size and pretty decent offensive instincts for a defender, instincts that have (mostly) served him well early in his professional career at the AHL level. That, combined with decent mobility, make him a prospect worth watching.
Risk factor: Tennyson's already 24, which means he's running out of time to climb the ladder. His top-end potential is very much open to question.
NHL projection: No. 4 defenceman.
6. Daniil Tarasov
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Profile: Daniil Tarasov's primary calling card is offence. He's scored at the USHL level, in 2012-13, he scored at the ECHL level, and over the last season and a half, he's proven he can score in the minors. Pronman describes his offensive intelligence as driving his value but notes he pretty much has to make it as a scorer or not at all.
Risk factor: Tarasov was well south of the point-per-game mark in the minors at the age of 23; there is significant risk here.
NHL projection: Second-line forward.
5. Konrad Abeltshauser
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Profile: Konrad Abeltshauser has professional-level size, standing 6'5" and weighing in at north of 220 pounds. He was a near point-per-game defender in juniors and last season had a pretty successful AHL debut with Worcester. Primarily a defensive defenceman, his totals suggest that he's also pretty good at making passes that key plays the other way. Skating is not seen as a strength.
Risk factor: He's big, and he got results as a rookie pro; that's an awfully nice start for this player-type.
NHL projection: No. 4 defenceman.
4. Chris Tierney
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Profile: Chris Tierney's skating makes him an attractive prospect, and he's blossomed offensively since getting picked late in the 2012 draft. The centre has seen use as a defensive specialist in the past, with Red Line Report noting that in his draft year, he got a lot of time on the penalty kill and on defensive-zone draws.
Risk factor: Tierney's offensive ceiling is a little uncertain, but his versatility makes him a low-risk prospect.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
3. Freddie Hamilton
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Profile: Freddie Hamilton put up decent point totals in juniors, and his scoring has come around at the AHL level, too, but that isn't what makes him such an interesting prospect. What makes Hamilton especially intriguing is his ability to play in a shutdown role when called upon. He's an intelligent two-way player.
Risk factor: Like Tierney, Hamilton's low-risk but with the added wrinkle that he's virtually NHL-ready at this point.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
2. Nikolay Goldobin
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Profile: Red Line Report calls him "pretty with the puck, pretty worthless without it," but his offensive potential is off the charts, especially for a guy who lasted until late in the first round. He posted 94 points in 67 OHL contests in his draft year; that's ridiculous production.
Risk factor: Prospects don't get much more boom/bust than Nikolay Goldobin. He could be an elite NHL player, or he could flame out early.
NHL projection: Top-six forward.
1. Mirco Mueller
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Profile: Mirco Mueller's one of those players whose value isn't really captured on the stats sheet. He has good size (6'3", 195 pounds), exceptional skating ability and plays an intelligent game. He'd be valued higher if he were more physical or if he put up big point totals, but that isn't his game; he's a smart positional defender who makes a good outlet pass but lacks high-end creativity.
Risk factor: It's disappointing that his hockey sense hasn't translated into scoring in juniors, but he has all the tools.
NHL projection: Top-four defenceman.
Jonathan Willis covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for more of his work.
Statistics courtesy of EliteProspects.com, unless otherwise noted. The Hockey News, Red Line Report (subscription required) and HockeyProspectus.com were consulted in writing profiles.
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