San Jose 2022 Draft Review 2022-08-29 The San Jose Sharks entered draft day with 8 picks, 4 in round one, 3 in round two and a third round pick to finish it off. GM Mitchell had talks about moving around with the draft but ultimately stuck to the days draft plan and made no trades. Let’s get to know your newest Sharks prospect and kick off this review with the pair of back-to-back picks at 16th and 17th: 16th Overall: Jiri Kulich C 6’0” 179 lbs – HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia) I had Kulich as the 12th ranked prospect on my list and had him pegged as the player who could be available here. Jiri was the best player on his team every time I checked him out and he had a tremendous WJC with Czechia and an even better U18 tourney where he earned MVP. His skating is good, he can score from distance and he’s got great hockey IQ. He’s at his best off the rush, where he’s looked dangerous in my viewings. Defensively he’s a responsible player and he has some two-way play in his game. He could use time to bulk up but I’m not sure he’s got the frame to add too much more mass without effecting his game. His style comparison is Bo Horvat or Yanni Gourde. Note from the GM: “I was hoping Kemell would fall here but knew that was highly unlikely. Still quite pleased with Kulich.” 17th Overall: Liam Ohgren LW 6’1” 201 lbs – Djurgardens IF (SHL) Ohgren is a high motor player who does everything at top speed. His shot is heavy and he gets it off quickly to catch goaltenders off guard. This is evidenced by his 33 goals in 30 U20 games with Djurgardens. The numbers take a big dive when moving up from the U20 team to the SHL team, but they were terrible all year and have been relegated to HockeyAllsvenskan. He was a leader for Sweden in the U18 tourney but struggled with the rest of the Swedish forwards at the WJC. He’s also responsible defensively and has shown he can play with other skilled players. Style comparison is Zach Hyman. Note from the GM: “Had Mesar here on my list, but switched things up based on how things were going. Quite pleased to get Ohgren at 17th. 21st Overall: Filip Mesar RW 5’10” 168 lbs – HK Poprad (Slovakia) Mesar has played against men in Slovakia the past two seasons and hasn’t looked out of place. I had Mesar rated ahead of Ohgren, but due to the way the draft was going I figured I could wait to pick him here. The gamble paid off and the Sharks add a speedy winger who might be one of the top players in the draft when it comes to transition. He’ll need to be a bit more selective with his shot, as he tends to just fire away from bad positions. He also will need to use his linemates better when setup in the offensive zone as he tends to overhandle the puck. Style comparison is Saku Koivu. Note from the GM: “I’ll repeat my hot take. I think Mesar puts up better offensive numbers as a pro than Slafkovsky.” 27th Overall: Ryan Chesley RHD 6’0” 201 lbs – US National U18 Team (USHL) I had Chesley as the 4th best defenceman in the draft, so I was thrilled he was available at 27th. He’s a great player in transition, always seeming to make the right play. His stick checking is top notch and his gap control has been a great asset for him. On offense, he’s good at walking the blue line and finds teammates with his crisp passing. He’ll need to get his shot on net more often on the powerplay though. Another area that could see improvement is his skating, he doesn’t show much confidence leading a rush but with a better first few steps could change that. Style comparison is Jake Muzzin. Note from the GM: “I was really torn on which direction I should go, I even had Noah Ostlund copied and ready to paste when Kirklan make up my mind for me taking him at 26th. Still pleased to stick to the plan” 34th Overall: Brad Lambert C/RW 6’0” 183 lbs – Pelicans (Liiga) This was a pick that deviated from my plan. I had another player on top of my list here but opted to go with the falling player. Lambert was highly touted years out from the draft as a player who could challenge for 1st overall. Brad made zero strides forward in his development this year, even asking for a trade and showing no difference with a new team. He has the skill, when you watch him he does stand out with elite skating and good hands at top speed. He does tend to disappear in games though, so he’ll need to add consistency. Style comparison is Michael Grabner Note from the GM: “This is probably my biggest boom/bust pick of the draft, but I was a lot more comfortable taking this risk in the 2nd round.” 47th Overall: Cameron Lund C/RW 6’2” 192 lbs – Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) I didn’t really have Lund on my radar for this pick, I figured he’d have been drafted before we got here. I was pleasantly surprised when he was available. Lund likes to play with the puck on his stick, he’s got one of the best shots in the draft and can get quick shots off at top speed. Along with his great shot, he’s pretty good at finding open teammates when setup inside the offensive zone and getting open for one-timers. I see him as a winger at the pro level, but he’ll have time to develop at Northeastern U where he’s committed for next season. Style comparison is Christian Dvorak Note from the GM: “I was all set to switch to my undrafted list with this pick and select Massimo Rizzo. There were plenty of falling players in this draft for some reason and it just made sense to pick Lund here.” 53rd Overall: Massimo Rizzo C 5’10” 174 lbs – University of Denver (NCAA) Rizzo is a player who’s been on my radar for a while, but after his big year in Denver he couldn’t go undrafted for too much longer. He missed a year of development due to lockdowns and the BCHL not playing any games in 2020. He’s got great hands, can beat defenders one on one with his skill and creativity. His skating is a bit lacking, he’ll need to continue to work on his stride and acceleration. One thing of note for Rizzo, he always seems to show up in big games. Style comparison is Patrick Kane (lite) Note from the GM: “He’s obviously not going to turn into Patrick Kane, but from a style perspective there are a lot of similarities in their games. I maybe reached a bit on him here, but judging by the reactions in the chat I think this was a good gamble.” 85th Overall: Oskari Salminen G 6’4” 201 lbs – Jukurit (Liiga) He’s looked good playing in Liiga the past three seasons, starting as a back-up and earning the #1 job last year. He had 9 shutouts last year while posting 29 wins with a .920SV%. He’s got good size for an NHL goalie, moves quite well laterally and never seems to have to make athletic saves due to his sound positioning. He played 55 games last season so he looks like he could be a workhorse going forward, able to play large chunks of the season. Style comparison is Frederik Andersen Note from the GM: “I had Salminen as the top goalie available in the draft, just in front of Strauss Mann. Judging by the reactions, I may have been the only one.”
