Post by San Jose GM on Oct 15, 2011 11:56:43 GMT -5
The San Jose Sharks walked away from their 1st draft under new management very satisfied with the crop of prospects that they added to their pool.
#8 overall – Vladimir Tarasenko, Novosibirsk Siber. Presently regarded as the best player not plying his trade in North America, Tarasenko may well become one of the top players from this draft class but an organization has to be patient as he’s contract bound in the KHL until the end of the 2011/12 season. He has been playing in that league against men since the age of 16 and broke the records of some other 16 year old named Alexander Ovechkin in the process. Tarasenko also lead Russia to their first junior championship in 8 years in 2011 (making Mark Visentin his personal bitch in the championship game) and presently has 15 points in the first 13 games of the KHL season. This kid is ready and will likely be in league in 2012/13.
#69 – Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic. Strong on his skates and with excellent offensive vision, most believe that Gauthier-Leduc is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. With a strong shot from the point and great puck-moving ability, the Quebec native has solid size, but needs to be more assertive defensively and continue to round out his overall game. Gauthier-Leduc will continue his development in the QMJHL in 2011/12. He is a candidate for Canada’s world junior championship team and should establish himself as one of the best QMJHL defenseman by season’s end. Gauthier-Leduc is the most talented offensive defenseman in the Sharks prospect pool but because of the deficiencies in his overall game he may not play his first pro game until 2013/14 season.
#87 – Jordan Weal, Regina Pats. Somewhat surprised by this selection, the Sharks see the diminutive forward will see plenty of ice time in the WHL this season and will also be a candidate for the Canadian world junior championship team, another reason he has become a consistent offensive threat. Weal, a right-handed shooting centre, is revered for his tenacity on the forecheck and for creating turnovers in the offensive zone. Weal is several years, and pounds, away from the pro level.
#101 – Bill Arnold, Boston College. A hard-working center who has primarily plays a defensive shutdown role but has solid offensive numbers to show off his playmaking abilities in the attacking zone. The 19-year-old ranked fifth in goals on Boston College and finished with the most points of any freshmen on the roster, ahead of former high school teammate and 2010 first round pick Kevin Hayes (CHI). Arnold is a forward with great character and work ethic who should play a bigger role for the Eagles next season but must continue improving his overall skating to play at the NHL level. The American-born centre may have the chance to represent his country at the IIHF 2012 World Junior Championship. He has time at the NCAA (HE) level to develop before deciding whether to jump to the professional level.
#161 – Mark Dekanich, Columbus Blue Jackets. At 25, Dekanich already has 3 seasons of pro experience under his belt but he real broke through last season with a 2.02 goals against average and .931 save percentage. Dekanich is a large goaltender, with superb athleticism and position, in addition to solid fundamentals. He has all the physical tools required for an NHL goaltender, but has work to do on the mental aspect of his game. His recognition and anticipation could use work, because he won't be able to rely solely on skill at the NHL level. If given an opportunity to play, Dekanich could be a dark horse Calder candidate.
#179 – Louis Domingue, Moncton Wildcats. A big goalie at 6’3, Domingue plays a sound positional style and coves a lot of the net. Possesses very good athleticism and quickness in the crease, and is also an excellent puck-handler. Invited to the summer orientation camp for the Canadian world junior team, Domingue has the tools and is progressing nicely towards becoming an NHL goaltender but does need to improve rebound control.
#186 – Nick Crawford, Saginaw Spirit. Crawford is a quality skater with room to add bulk to his frame. He generally stays at home, but can contribute on offense at times. Crawford needs to work on developing his overall game but he is a steadying presence on the blue-line as he is patient and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Crawford will continue to develop with Worcester where he will see middle pairing minutes. The silver lining in it for Crawford is that there is no rush for him to make the jump to the NHL. He will continue to grow at his own pace for the AHL team making him a long shot to make the Sharks until at least 2012-13. Plus the GM taught a young in hockey school when back in Ontario.
#191 – Sam Carrick, Brampton Battalion. While not overly big Carrick is surprisingly strong on his skates and noticeably physical. He has great two-way ability and is fearless on the ice. Offensively, Carrick can be very dangerous with the puck both in scoring and playmaking. Consistency is an issue as he tries to be a multi-purpose forward which at times makes parts of his game suffer. Carrick is at his best when he plays a simple, yet energized two-way game. He’s very willing to drop the gloves, with any size of fighter. His strong work ethic bodes well for future success. They all can’t be stars but Carrick should find a role at the pro level as a 3rd/4th line energy guy with a strong defensive game to boot.
#8 overall – Vladimir Tarasenko, Novosibirsk Siber. Presently regarded as the best player not plying his trade in North America, Tarasenko may well become one of the top players from this draft class but an organization has to be patient as he’s contract bound in the KHL until the end of the 2011/12 season. He has been playing in that league against men since the age of 16 and broke the records of some other 16 year old named Alexander Ovechkin in the process. Tarasenko also lead Russia to their first junior championship in 8 years in 2011 (making Mark Visentin his personal bitch in the championship game) and presently has 15 points in the first 13 games of the KHL season. This kid is ready and will likely be in league in 2012/13.
#69 – Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic. Strong on his skates and with excellent offensive vision, most believe that Gauthier-Leduc is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. With a strong shot from the point and great puck-moving ability, the Quebec native has solid size, but needs to be more assertive defensively and continue to round out his overall game. Gauthier-Leduc will continue his development in the QMJHL in 2011/12. He is a candidate for Canada’s world junior championship team and should establish himself as one of the best QMJHL defenseman by season’s end. Gauthier-Leduc is the most talented offensive defenseman in the Sharks prospect pool but because of the deficiencies in his overall game he may not play his first pro game until 2013/14 season.
#87 – Jordan Weal, Regina Pats. Somewhat surprised by this selection, the Sharks see the diminutive forward will see plenty of ice time in the WHL this season and will also be a candidate for the Canadian world junior championship team, another reason he has become a consistent offensive threat. Weal, a right-handed shooting centre, is revered for his tenacity on the forecheck and for creating turnovers in the offensive zone. Weal is several years, and pounds, away from the pro level.
#101 – Bill Arnold, Boston College. A hard-working center who has primarily plays a defensive shutdown role but has solid offensive numbers to show off his playmaking abilities in the attacking zone. The 19-year-old ranked fifth in goals on Boston College and finished with the most points of any freshmen on the roster, ahead of former high school teammate and 2010 first round pick Kevin Hayes (CHI). Arnold is a forward with great character and work ethic who should play a bigger role for the Eagles next season but must continue improving his overall skating to play at the NHL level. The American-born centre may have the chance to represent his country at the IIHF 2012 World Junior Championship. He has time at the NCAA (HE) level to develop before deciding whether to jump to the professional level.
#161 – Mark Dekanich, Columbus Blue Jackets. At 25, Dekanich already has 3 seasons of pro experience under his belt but he real broke through last season with a 2.02 goals against average and .931 save percentage. Dekanich is a large goaltender, with superb athleticism and position, in addition to solid fundamentals. He has all the physical tools required for an NHL goaltender, but has work to do on the mental aspect of his game. His recognition and anticipation could use work, because he won't be able to rely solely on skill at the NHL level. If given an opportunity to play, Dekanich could be a dark horse Calder candidate.
#179 – Louis Domingue, Moncton Wildcats. A big goalie at 6’3, Domingue plays a sound positional style and coves a lot of the net. Possesses very good athleticism and quickness in the crease, and is also an excellent puck-handler. Invited to the summer orientation camp for the Canadian world junior team, Domingue has the tools and is progressing nicely towards becoming an NHL goaltender but does need to improve rebound control.
#186 – Nick Crawford, Saginaw Spirit. Crawford is a quality skater with room to add bulk to his frame. He generally stays at home, but can contribute on offense at times. Crawford needs to work on developing his overall game but he is a steadying presence on the blue-line as he is patient and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Crawford will continue to develop with Worcester where he will see middle pairing minutes. The silver lining in it for Crawford is that there is no rush for him to make the jump to the NHL. He will continue to grow at his own pace for the AHL team making him a long shot to make the Sharks until at least 2012-13. Plus the GM taught a young in hockey school when back in Ontario.
#191 – Sam Carrick, Brampton Battalion. While not overly big Carrick is surprisingly strong on his skates and noticeably physical. He has great two-way ability and is fearless on the ice. Offensively, Carrick can be very dangerous with the puck both in scoring and playmaking. Consistency is an issue as he tries to be a multi-purpose forward which at times makes parts of his game suffer. Carrick is at his best when he plays a simple, yet energized two-way game. He’s very willing to drop the gloves, with any size of fighter. His strong work ethic bodes well for future success. They all can’t be stars but Carrick should find a role at the pro level as a 3rd/4th line energy guy with a strong defensive game to boot.