Sharks Sign Laroque, Wilson Jr. Compares D-Man to Ferraro & Braun

The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Gannon Laroque to an entry-level contract.

“Gannon had a very strong season with Victoria and was arguably the most improved prospect in our system. He has displayed an impressive blend of steady, defensive play matched with an ability to generate offense,” San Jose Sharks interim GM Joe Will said in a Sharks press release. “We’re excited about working with him to continue his development.”

Per Puckpedia, these were the terms of Laroque’s ELC:

The #SJSharks signed 18 y/o '21 4th Round Pick RD Gannon Laroque to 3 year Entry Level Deal. All 3 years:

NHL Salary 775K
Signing Bonus 92.5K
GP Bonus 57.5K
Minors 80K

Cap Hit 867.5K, AAV 925Khttps://t.co/kCXQPfrKjc

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 2, 2022

The 2021 fourth-round pick put up 52 points (10 goals and 42 assists) in 63 games for the WHL’s Victoria Royals, after just seven points in 21 contests last year. The 18-year-old also made his pro debut this year, appearing in three games and notching one assist with the San Jose Barracuda.

“He does everything right. He reminds me a lot, not hockey wise, but as a human being, of Mario Ferraro,” San Jose Sharks director of scouting Doug Wilson Jr. told the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast last month. “He plays defense a lot like a Justin Braun type, where he’s just big, he’s got a good stick, he holds the d-zone blueline. You couldn’t tell the difference between when he played in Victoria and when he played with the Barracuda, how he held the d-zone blue. And he’s only 18.

“The sky’s the limit for him.”

The San Jose Sharks also issued bona fide offers to fellow 2021 draft picks Ethan Cardwell, Benjamin Gaudreau, Liam Gilmartin, Artem Guryev, Evgenii Kashnikov, and Max McCue. This means that they’ll retain exclusive negotiating rights with these prospects.

The San Jose Sharks also confirmed that they would indeed be relinquishing their rights to 2020 seventh-round pick Linus Oberg, as reported by San Jose Hockey Now this afternoon.

BREAKING: Sharks Let Prospect Oberg Walk