The San Jose Sharks build one of the most expected prospect pools in the NHL, but major prospects come up with difficult decisions about how to manage. Many players from San Jose can start the season in a wide range of competitions, and the team and the players have to work together to determine their placement. Of the many prospects that fit into this category, the two who offer the most difficult choices are a few skaters from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Vooruit Michael Misa and defender Sam Dickinson. Both are stuck between multiple options, and they will be worth paying attention when the regular season is approaching.
Misa keeps his options open
The second overall choice on this year’s design, Misa has made it his goal to make the sharks from the training camp. He gets the chanceBut he cut out his work for him. Firstly, the sharks already have at least 12 attackers who are worthy of being full-time NHL players and juggling a lot of line-up, even before they consider him. Although he is clearly a great prospect, he is probably not as developed as the average player who makes the NHL immediately after he has been drawn up.
Misa has not yet signed his entry -level contract (ELC), so he is open to all possible paths he can take. Although he is not eligible for the American Hockey League (AHL), he could go to the NCAA or return to his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team, the SaginaW Spirit. Both choices have positives and negatives. He could earn money in the NCAA while he promotes his development, but he may be able to move forward further by staying with the Spirit, with whom he is clearly comfortable and familiar.
Of course, if Misa plays good enough during the training camp and the preseason, he could leave the sharks without an option than put him in the team, and they have made it clear that they give him the chance. If he came to that point, the sharks could give him development days throughout the season and play him on the wing despite his natural position in the middle. Whatever happens, they have to be careful not to throw him too quickly because he makes a huge leap to the NHL.
Dickinson trapped between NHL and Juniors
In his second year under contract for the sharks, Dickinson’s status might be Be the most interesting In the entire organization. After a dominant season in the OHL, he might be too good to stay there at this point. However, he cannot go to the NCAA because he has already signed his ELC. The AHL would be the clear best option for him, but the rule with which NHL-Teams can send 19-year-olds to the AHL will only fall for next season.
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With that in mind, the best move of the sharks could be to take him to the big club. He would be young for an NHL defender, but he might get more from going through NHL growth pains than he would be too easy for him from another year in a competition that is essentially too easy. And although he struggled with the Sharks last year during the preseason, that experience Plus should make a year of development easier this season than would have been last season.
On the other hand, Dickinson may not fit in the NHL now. The sharks have many left -handed blueliners with more experience, and he can simply be omitted. He could also get a test run at the start of the season and then return to the OHL without burning a year of his ELC. His adjustment to the NHL and the jump of juniors can be too difficult, but he and the sharks have ways to prevent that.
Sharks want prospects to take the following steps at their own pace
The perfect scenario for the sharks is that both Misa and Dickinson NHL are ready by the time that the season starts. Even if they both burned for a year of their contracts, the sharks would like to consider if this means that two of their top perspectives have been prepared for the large competitions earlier than expected, and they can work on their development as directly as possible.
At the same time, the sharks do not have to rush to the NHL. One of the few benefits of not expecting not to fight for the play-offs is that prospects can take their time to achieve their potential and not have to be thrown into high-pressure situations. If the best path is the NCAA (in the case of Misa) or if it is the OHL (for one of them), that is hardly any concern. It only means that the excitement and anticipation of the sharks to bring them to the NHL will last a little longer.
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