Sharks Top-10 Prospects Rankings: 2000 to 2009

Who’s the most-touted San Jose Sharks prospects class ever?

We’re talking that out this week at San Jose Hockey Now, but before we get to that discussion, we’re going to recall, one by one, each pre-season’s prospects rankings.

Where Does Sharks’ Current Prospects Pool Rank Historically?

Yesterday, we dug up top-10 prospects rankings from 2010 to 2023, from SJHN and The Hockey News.

Sharks Top-10 Prospects Rankings: 2010 to 2023

Now, we’re going back to the 2000’s, from 2000 to 2009, from Logan Couture to Milan Michalek to Jeff Jillson.

Finally, we’ll get to the San Jose Sharks’ 1990’s prospects next!

2009-10 (The Hockey News)

1) Logan Couture
2) Nick Petrecki
3) Thomas Greiss
4) Jamie McGinn
5) Derek Joslin
6) Tyson Sexsmith
7) William Wrenn
8) Steven Zalewski
9) Taylor Dakers
10) Taylor Doherty

Quote: On San Jose Sharks’ 25th (of 30 teams) Future Watch rank, “System does great job with late round picks, but no first-rounders in ’08 and ’09 and slow development of Couture bumps down the overall grade.”

2008-09 (THN)

1) Logan Couture
2) Lukas Kaspar
3) Jamie McGinn
4) Thomas Greiss
5) Nick Petrecki
6) Derek Joslin
7) Taylor Dakers
8) Dan Spang
9) Justin Daniels
10) Harri Sateri

Quote: On 106th pick Sateri, “Was rated as high as No. 34 by THN Draft Preview.”

2007-08 (THN)

1) Logan Couture
2) Devin Setoguchi
3) Ty Wishart
4) Nick Petrecki
5) Lukas Kaspar
6) Dimitri Patzold
7) Taylor Dakers
8) Alex Stalock
9) Derek Joslin
10) Thomas Greiss

Quote: “The Sharks are firm believers in building from the net out. They have four goalies among their top prospects and selected two more in the third and fourth rounds this year.”

2006-07 (THN)

1) Devin Setoguchi
2) Matt Carle
3) Lukas Kaspar
4) Dimitri Patzold
5) Mike Morris
6) Tim Conboy
7) Marc-Edouard Vlasic
8) Thomas Greiss
9) Taylor Dakers
10) Ryan Clowe

Top 2006 Draft Picks: Ty Wishart, Jamie McGinn

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round pick Ty Wishart and second-round pick Jamie McGinn probably would’ve made the top-10.

Quote: On Vlasic, “Power play ace needs a lot of meat on his bones.”

2005-06 (THN)

1) Milan Michalek
2) Christian Ehrhoff
3) Marcel Goc
4) Steve Bernier
5) Dimitri Patzold
6) Douglas Murray
7) Mike Morris
8) Josh Hennessy
9) Lukas Kaspar
10) Matt Carle

Top 2005 Draft Picks: Devin Setoguchi, Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round pick Devin Setoguchi and second-round pick Marc-Edouard Vlasic probably would’ve made the top-10.

Quote: On Setoguchi, “His strong work ethic should take care of that, which leaves the prospect with a skill set that includes playmaking, goal-scoring and strong defensive play.”

2004-05 (THN)

1) Milan Michalek
2) Steve Bernier
3) Marcel Goc
4) Miroslav Zalesak
5) Mike Morris
6) Tero Maatta
7) Dimitri Patzold
8) Douglas Murray
9) Grant Stevenson
10) Josh Hennessy

Top 2004 Draft Picks: Lukas Kaspar

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round pick Lukas Kaspar probably would’ve made the top-10. Michalek, Bernier, Goc, and Zalesak were projected by THN as sure-fire NHL’ers.

Quote: “Miroslav Zalesak is a 24-year-old Czech sniper with four seasons of AHL experience. He has evolved into a fine triggerman who could complement a playmaking center on one of the top two lines.”

2003-04 (THN)

1) Brad Boyes
2) Marcel Goc
3) Mike Morris
4) Christian Ehrhoff
5) Niko Dimitrakos
6) Vesa Toskala
7) Miroslav Zalesak
8) Chad Wiseman
9) Dimitri Patzold
10) Tero Maatta

Top 2003 Draft Picks: Milan Michalek, Steve Bernier, Matt Carle

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round picks Milan Michalek and Steve Bernier, and second-round pick Matt Carle probably would’ve made the top-10. Boyes, Goc, Morris, and Ehrhoff were projected by THN as sure-fire NHL’ers.

Quote: On Michalek, “This mature two-way winger is strong in all three zones.”

2002-03 (THN)

1) Jonathan Cheechoo
2) Marcel Goc
3) Vesa Toskala
4) Chad Wiseman
5) Eric Laplante
6) Christian Ehrhoff
7) Tero Maatta
8) Matt Carkner
9) Dimitri Patzold
10) Jim Fahey

Top 2002 Draft Picks: Mike Morris, Dan Spang

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round pick Mike Morris and second-round pick Dan Spang probably would’ve made the top-10. Cheechoo and Goc were projected by THN as sure-fire NHL’ers.

Quote: “Morris is a quick, agile skater who has strong puck-handling skills and is a clever playmaker. He’s a gritty two-way player who leads by example.”

2001-02 (THN)

1) Jeff Jillson
2) Miikka Kiprusoff
3) Jonathan Cheechoo
4) Tero Maatta
5) Matt Bradley
6) Vesa Toskala
7) Nolan Schaefer
8) Miroslav Zalesak
9) Willie Levesque
10) Jon DiSalvatore

Top 2001 Draft Picks: Marcel Goc

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. First-round pick Marcel Goc probably would’ve made the top-10. Jillson, Kiprusoff, and Cheechoo were projected by THN as sure-fire NHL’ers.

Quote: On Kiprusoff, “May steal Nabokov’s spotlight.”

2000-01 (THN)

1) Jeff Jillson
2) Scott Hannan
3) Miikka Kiprusoff
4) Shawn Heins
5) Jonathan Cheechoo
6) Vesa Toskala
7) Matt Bradley
8) Mark Smith
9) Robert Jindrich
10) Eric Laplante

Top 2000 Draft Picks: Tero Maatta

Notes: The Hockey News Yearbook didn’t include most recent Draft picks in this pre-season top-10 prospects ranking. Second-round pick Tero Maatta probably would’ve made the top-10. Jillson, Hannan, Kiprusoff, Heins, and Cheechoo were projected by THN as sure-fire NHL’ers.

Quote: On Jillson, “Rated No. 5 in Future Watch.”