Bold Predictions for the Sharks' 5 Biggest Prospects

Throughout the years, the San Jose Sharks have been known for nurturing and developing terrific young players. Among these are Jonathon Cheechoo, Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture. All of these players have been successful at the NHL level. 

Ten games into the 2011-2012 campaign, the Sharks have yet another young group of players at the minor league level who are eager to get their first taste of NHL action. With some help from the folks at yardbarker.com, here are some bold predictions for the Sharks' five biggest prospects.

5. Michael Sgarbossa

Michael Sgarbossa signed as an undrafted free agent last year after impressing GM Doug Wilson at the YoungStars Tournament. He notched 26 goals with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves last season, and he's still raw at age 19.

The scouting report from Adam French of yardbarker.com:

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He’s an average skater with good mobility and decent acceleration. He has very quick hands and is very good in tight around the net. He has good playmaking ability and that is boosted by his best feature, which is his creativity. Sgarbossa has a knack for making fancy plays out of nothing. He forechecks extremely hard and can be a pest, this includes never shutting up between whistles.

"

Bold Prediction: At best, Sgarbossa will make his way as a third- or fourth-line center in the NHL. His work ethic will definitely carry him into deeper depths. However, at just 5’11" and 174 pounds, I just don't see him matching up to the Zdeno Charas of the league. 

4. Freddie Hamilton

Now this is a player with a ton of potential. Freddie Hamilton, drafted 129th overall in 2010, notched 38 goals with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL last season. 

Adam French of yardbaker.com, your take:

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Hamilton is the definition of the “complete player.” He is extremely smart positionally and is almost never caught making a poor play. He plays an extremely simple game based on hard work and anticipation and can be counted on to play in any situation. While he has some offensive skills, his lack of creativity will likely hamper him going forward from turning into a serious scoring threat at the NHL level. He seems like more of a complimentary piece that can fit on any line. Hamilton is a wizard at faceoffs and has quietly become one of the best in the CHL.

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Bold Prediction: While he is a "complete player," Hamilton will need to freshen up and improve on his skills before making it to the NHL. I see Hamilton as a complimentary player on the second or third line. 

3. Matthew Nieto

Don't be fooled by Nieto's small size (5'10") or his stature (183 pounds). He brings everything that the aforementioned Michael Sgarbossa has to the table, and much more. 

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Nieto is a very fast-skating forward with excellent breakaway speed that allows him to blow by defenders. His offensive awareness is very good, and he has very good passing skills, though, at times he shows that at top speed he can’t pass or shoot as well as he usually would going slower. His hands are below-average and he thrives off a pass-and-shoot game with a lot of simplicity. His shot is pretty weak, but he loves to go to the net, fishing for rebounds, and that is where he scores many of his goals. Despite his speed and hard work in the offensive zone, it hasn’t translated to his own end, and he is often caught out of position and being lackadaisical on the backcheck.

-Adam French of yardbarker.com

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Bold Prediction: French goes on to predict Nieto to be a second- or third-line playmaker. I would up that to a first-line playmaker. He is very similar to Martin Havlat, Torrey Mitchell or Patrick Marleau in the way he plays. 

And what do they say in hockey? Speed kills. 

2. Nick Petrecki

Petricki is as defensive as a defenseman can get. Similar to the play of Colin White, Petricki is one hard-nosed, physical pest who is not afraid to back away from a fight. 

Adam French of yardbarker.com thinks:

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Petrecki is a hard-nosed, defensive defenseman with good skating ability and strong positioning. He loves to hit and does it often, usually in bone-crunching fashion. He is very good on the PK with his mobility and strength and has a very hard shot, which allows him to clear the puck effectively. Though he has a very hard shot, it is not very accurate and most hope of him becoming a shooter on the PP has dwindled since his first year in Boston College. Don’t expect much, if any offense from him.

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Bold Prediction: Petricki is going to be a defenseman in the NHL, no doubt. However, chances that he will provide any offensive production are dwindling. 

1. Taylor Doherty

This kid is the complete package. 

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A decent skater for his size, Doherty is huge and knows how to use his size to his maximum effectiveness. He was projected as a defensive defenseman but has since found that he possess a bomb of a shot and solid passing ability. His strength and conditioning have massively improved and he overpowers most of his competition. He delivers big hits and plays solid, positional hockey. He can play the PP and PK effectively and with his great shot has found a niche as the shooter part of a PP tandem. He just needs to add some more consistency to his offensive creativity and prove he can handle stronger competition.

-yardbarker.com

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At 6'8" and 230 pounds, Taylor Doherty has the size to be an NHL defenseman. Doherty had 53 points in just 68 games for the Worcester Sharks last season. 

Scouts agree that Doherty is the real deal:

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A strong defensive player, who understands that side of the game quite effectively and is used by his team in all situations: penalty killing, power play and being out in the last minute of the game.

-hockeyprospect.com

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Bold Prediction: It is pretty much a lock that Doherty will see some NHL action in his career. However, I'm going to go really bold on this one and say that Doherty will be the face of the franchise for the Sharks in a few years as a top-notch defenseman. He has all the tools and the skill set to do it—all he needs is some more seasoning to make it to the next level.

Honorary Mention: Daniil Sobchenko

I would like to dedicate this slideshow to Daniil Sobchenko, who died in a tragic plane crash in September.

Sobchenko was one of the Sharks' top prospects, and he would have been included in this slideshow. 

Sobchenko had a bright future ahead of him, and he will be missed.