Sheng Peng
The future of the San Jose Sharks is taking shape.
But what about the goaltending?
Up front, William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, Filip Bystedt, and quite possibly, one of Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, or Leo Carlsson may form the core of a future Cup-caliber top-six.
On the blueline, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Mattias Havelid, and Henry Thrun look like the beginning of potential solid future top-four, hopefully the depth making up for the lack of a true kingpin on the backend.
Between the pipes?
Pending UFA James Reimer is 35. Kaapo Kahkonen, 26, is signed for another season with the San Jose Sharks, but has had a very up-and-down year.
So what about prospects Ben Gaudreau, Mason Beaupit, Eetu Makiniemi, Magnus Chrona, or Strauss Mann? I spoke with multiple NHL sources to get a sense of what the San Jose Sharks have got in the system.
Here’s the bad news: There isn’t a projected NHL starter in the bunch.
Obviously, the key word there is “projected” – just one good year, and a prospect’s stock can skyrocket.
But right now?
My three sources agreed that Gaudreau, Beaupit, Makiniemi, Chrona, or Mann are all projected as NHL back-ups at best.
Jesper Wallstedt, they ain’t.
That said, who is the San Jose Sharks’ top goaltending prospect right now?
Not surprisingly, 2021 third-rounder Gaudreau is San Jose Hockey Now’s consensus No. 1.
Gaudreau, who’s hoping for an entry-level contract, is also a 2023 World Juniors gold medal winner, though he didn’t play a lot of Team Canada. He’s 23-12-6 with an .888 Save % for the Sarnia Sting this season.
“Gaudreau still the Sharks’ top goalie prospect, but [he doesn’t make San Jose’s] top-10 prospects. I’d have Artemi Kniazev over him,” Scout #1 said.
Kniazev was No. 10 among SJHN’s top-10 prospects before the Trade Deadline. I dropped Kniazev from the top-10 after the Deadline in favor of Mukhamadullin and Thrun.
Anyway, this gives you a sense of the 6-foot-2 keeper’s possible internal value in the San Jose Sharks organization.
Next up, 23-year-old Eetu Makiniemi, who the Sharks acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes this past summer in the Brent Burns trade.
“Had good upside prior to his injuries,” Scout #1 offered. “That’s probably what they’re hoping for.”
The 6-foot-2 Finn missed most of last season with a lower back injury, and he hasn’t played for the San Jose Barracuda since Feb. 11.
Are they related injuries?
“I don’t believe it is,” head coach John McCarthy said last week.
Another source confirmed that, saying Makiniemi is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
So there’s that, at least.
The pending RFA is 8-10-3 with a .900 Save % for the Cuda.
No. 3 on SJHN’s Sharks goalie prospect rankings might surprise you.
Magnus Chrona, acquired during the 2021 Trade Deadline from the Tampa Bay Lightning for journeyman defenseman Fredrik Claesson, seemed to be the forgotten goalie in the Sharks system.
Chrona, however, has been plying his trade in college, as the University of Denver’s starter. He’s 50-16-1 in his last two seasons, highlighted by a 2022 national championship.
The senior is about to become a free agent, if he and the Sharks don’t come to a pact by Aug. 15.
“Sounds like Chrona will stick with San Jose,” Scout #2 shared. “He will get an NHL deal [from someone], for sure.”
Scout #3 noted that the 6-foot-5 netminder is hard to evaluate because of how good the Pioneers are: “He’s alright. Big and technical. But he’s really protected on Denver.”
“Big and solid,” Scout #2 agreed. “Worth trying to develop.”
Chrona is 22-8-0 with a .915 Save % for a Denver squad prepping to defend their national championship.
No. 4 is 2022 fourth-rounder Mason Beaupit.
The 6-foot-6 goalie, also hoping for an ELC, started the season with the lowly Spokane Chiefs, before getting dealt to the Winnipeg Ice. He’s 14-4-0 with an .890 Save % since the trade.
Last but not least on SJHN’s Sharks goalie prospects ranking is 24-year-old Strauss Mann, who the Sharks signed last season.
The 6-foot-0 netminder has outstanding intangibles, but he hasn’t been able to beat out Makiniemi for a larger role on the Barracuda. Instead, Mann has split time between the Barracuda and the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder.
The pending RFA is 6-7-1 with an .893 Save % for the Barracuda.
“Mann should be good organizational goalie,” Scout #1 suggested, meaning maybe an NHL No. 3.
He added: “[The Sharks] need to find a starter-type prospect. Not many around the league, once teams get them, they try and hold onto them.”
Mike Grier agreed: “Everyone’s on the lookout for a No. 1 goalie, whether you drafted [him] or free agent or trade for it. We’re no different.”