Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. As we go through the summer of 2023, each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a look at one NHL team’s top prospects or other topical article. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, Kyle Pereira and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! You can find all the articles here as well as our extensive NHL Draft preview. Today, we look at the 2023 San Jose Sharks Top Prospects.
For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played (including playoff games) or is 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and we may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.
2023 San Jose Sharks Top Prospects
1.) William Eklund
The 7th overall pick from 2021, William Eklund remains the top prospect of the San Jose Sharks in our 2023 ranking. After getting drafted the Swedish prospect has had two minor stints in the NHL. Both of which lasted less than ten games. However, where he struggled in his two seasons ago in the NHL, this season’s campaign was far more promising. Despite not making the team out of camp, Eklund would eventually get another taste of the NHL, scoring the first three points of his NHL career in eight games.
During the AHL season, he grew a lot as a player. The team gave him more of a leadership role where he looked very promising with the San Jose Barracudas, scoring 41 points in 54 games. For a lot of the season, including his stint in the NHL, he was getting a ton of minutes and showed his offensive upside and high hockey sense on numerous occasions. The only slight worry about his near-perfect transitional rookie season in North America came at the end when a shoulder injury put an early stop to his season. However, he should recover from it for the upcoming season’s training camp.
Overall the past season has revitalized a lot of hope in Eklund’s potential after a rough first season as a Sharks prospect. His speed and understanding of the game were on full display all year, and he consistently was in the right position offensively. While the Swede still needs to add a bit more muscle to his frame to add power to his game and shot, there were noticeable improvements this season. His shot seemed more potent, and with his great vision and playmaking, there is a lot of talent to build around Eklund.
2.) Will Smith
The Shark’s first selection in the stacked 2023 NHL draft, Will Smith, is regarded as one of the highest potential centres in recent memory. The skies are the limits for the former USNTDP player, who has all the tools to be a difference-maker in the future. While he does have areas that need work, particularly defensively and his overall motor, the areas he excels at are exceptional. His hands are phenomenal, which makes him one of the most elusive players of the upcoming generation. His speed and skating are great and his edgework is elite. Combining great stick handling and skating allows Smith to generate scoring chances on his own. He doesn’t require any space to be dangerous and his vision means he makes the most out of it. As an offensive threat, there isn’t a ton of holes to find in Smith’s game.
Smith will be a minor project for a time, as he continues to hone his skillset. He is going to Boston College, where Smith gets to grow as a player both figuratively and literally. Adding a bit more physicality and power to his game would do him well, before making the step into the NHL. A league that will test Smith physically far more than in the juniors. His elusiveness and great skating won’t do it alone in the NHL but with more physicality and development of his defensive game, he should be able to create a wonderful partnership with William Eklund in the future for the San Jose Sharks.
3.) Quentin Musty
Another Sharks pick in the 2023 NHL draft was winger, Quentin Musty. The winger brings a lot of size and skill to the Shark’s prospect pool. He works extremely hard and doesn’t shy away from contact along the boards. He will play along the dirty areas of the ice to apply pressure on the opposing team while possessing a wonderful shot. This makes Musty an extremely versatile offensive player. He also has a great hockey sense and can find open ice with and without the puck. The weakness of Musty’s game is his skating which does need work to fulfil his high potential in the NHL. His first strides are weak mechanically, and stronger mechanics and a good skating coach would do wonders for Musty. However, even with Musty’s weakness, his willingness to battle and goalscoring prowess should allow him a strong career in the NHL.
4.) Filip Bystedt
The fourth player on our list is the Sharks 2022 first-round selection, Filip Bystedt. Yet another Swedish forward, who enjoyed a great season, in this case in the SHL and at the World Juniors. Bystedt has developed well this season, with a full SHL season and a dominant role for team Sweden, where he produced ten points in seven games at the World Juniors. Bystedt’s main weapon comes with his strong skating and speed. He is extremely quick with his feet and has a quick release that can overwhelm a lot of goalies, even at the highest level. Bystedt isn’t as flashy as Eklund or Smith, but he is an extremely effective player, who also plays a strong physical game. There aren’t too many weaknesses to Bystedt, although his ceiling isn’t as high as the three players above him.
5.) Thomas Bordeleau
One of the more intriguing players in the Shark’s prospect pool is Thomas Bordeleau. The 21-year-old wasn’t extremely highly praised during his draft year, but over the past few seasons has started to make a name for himself. After two strong seasons at the University of Michigan, he signed with the Sharks, and instantly made an impact in the NHL with five assists. This season many saw him become a mainstay on the team, but the season primarily was played in the AHL where he had a good season. Bordeleau’s playmaking and stick handling are his main strengths. His vision is already NHL ready and if he can add a bit more confidence to his overall game, Bordeleau might be a hidden gem for the Sharks.
6.) Shakir Mukhamadullin
The first defenceman on the list and also the first non-Sharks draft pick on the list is former New Jersey Devils first-round pick, Shakir Mukhamadullin. After spending the past three seasons in the KHL, the Russian is finally ready to properly transition to the North American game. While that might require a lot of work to get used to for Mukhamadullin, the upside of his game is undeniable. He is a big body and surprisingly mobile defenceman, with a strong hockey sense. Mukhamadullin might not be the most modern defender of all time, as he isn’t the greatest puck mover, but positionally he is brilliant. The great hockey IQ also comes to play offensively as he scans the zone well to find his teammates in the right positions to keep the attack going. However, his shot isn’t overly special, although it’s not terrible either.
7.) Henry Thrun
Henry Thrun is a defender from the Shark’s prospect pool who has developed well since being drafted. He is an extremely smart defender who consistently is in the right positions. He moves the puck well and has great skating for his size. Primarily a defensive-minded defenceman, Thrun is not going to be the most noticeable player in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be effective. While his ceiling isn’t quite as high as someone like Jonas Brodin, he does have a similarity to the Swedish defender. Both skate extremely well, play a smart game and have a defence-first mentality. While Thrun’s game needs to grow in all aspects, his upside and leadership qualities make him a potentially vital part of the Shark’s future. Especially when considering the defensive area of the prospect pool isn’t as strong as the offence.
8.) Tristen Robins
One of the great comeback stories from the Sharks system the past season was the return of Tristen Robins. After suffering an MCL sprain early during his first season after being drafted, he has been fighting hard to get back to his best. While there still is room for improvement, Robins managed to make the step into the AHL last season. He did a good job throughout the season, and in flashes showed some of his high potential from before the injury. Particularly his wonderful shot and strong offensive awareness. He can move the puck well and makes a lot of great decisions offensively. His hands are great and it allows him to move the puck around defenders to create high-scoring chances.
9.) Mattias Hävelid
Mattias Hävelid is a strong skating defender, who can bring a ton of offensive creativity to the Sharks prospect pool. He is lightning-quick on his feet, and his passing is among the best of the Shark’s prospects overall. Every time Hävelid has the puck there is a chance for an electric play to happen. Either due to him blowing past his man with speed or with a perfect pass that splits the defence. On the powerplay, he has all the tools to be a magnificent and dynamic quarterback on the blue line. His defensive game does need improvements and so does his physicality. He also needs to be slightly smarter overall, as his decision-making in both zones can be inconsistent. This needs to change for his potential to translate into the NHL. However, it’s a potential that while raw, makes Hävelid a joy to watch.
10.) Cameron Lund
The last player to make the list is the American centre Cameron Lund, who was selected in 2022. While not nearly as highly regarded as Will Smith or William Eklund, Cameron Lund does offer a lot in terms of goalscoring. He has a wicked shot and his upside offensively is strong. Lund is creative and is often able to gain the inside lanes for high-scoring chances. He has a good size and uses it well to outmuscle others for position in the offensive zone. The main weakness of his game is his compete level. Without the puck, he can often seem disinterested and defensively he needs to work harder to regain position. Especially if he is to be seen as a centre in the NHL. However, the potential is there, both down the middle and as a sniper on the wing.
HM (Round 4 or Later): Luca Cagnoni
Luca Cagnoni was drafted 123rd overall during the 2023 draft by the Sharks. A pick that easily could become a minor steal when looking back at the draft in a few years. He is a solid puck-moving and modern defenceman who has great skating and awareness. Cagnoni moves the puck up the ice with ease and is always trying to get involved in the offence. He is great both on and off the puck and never seems to stand still. This combined with his strong passing and stick handling makes him extremely hard to cover, and the sheer energy he brings makes him extremely fun to watch. His decision-making does need to improve as he is caught pinching, but with strong coaching, this is a fixable issue. In the future could be the perfect partner for Henry Thrun on the second pair for the San Jose Sharks.
Main Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
