San Jose Sharks
Sharks Locker Room: On Graf’s Growth & Why It’s So Important
It’s been a long time since the San Jose Sharks have developed an excellent two-way middle-six forward.
It’s the type of player that essential to winning, and of course, the Sharks haven’t won a lot in the last six years.
But in Thursday night’s 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, Collin Graf showed why he might become the franchise’s first true two-way middle-six forward development success since prime Barclay Goodrow in 2019-20.
Forget Graf’s two goals — plays like these are why the 22-year-old winger has vaulted ahead of offense-first San Jose Barracuda prospects like Danil Gushchin and Thomas Bordeleau, for example, on the depth chart.
Graf (51) is in good defensive position, above the puck, with two Sharks forwards Will Smith (2) and Alex Wennberg (21), along with defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (85) forechecking. The puck squeaks past Graf, but the winger reads the situation, that Connor Bedard (98) doesn’t have help, so he’s able to target the always-dangerous Bedard and mug him for the puck. The winger then connects with Smith with an easy entry pass, good defense leading to good offense.
Graf was the second most-used San Jose Sharks forward, 20:13, after Macklin Celebrini, skating in all situations, and also helping to finish the game when Chicago pulled their goalie.
No Barracuda prospect has made a greater leap from last year than Graf, who’s gone from finesse NCAA free agent signing last March to potential future coach’s pet.
“He really worked hard this summer,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He gets rewarded with goals tonight, but he does the little things that probably a lot of people don’t see…he’s gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff, and from his teammates, on how to play the right way.”
“He does the little things.” Plays “the right way.” Sprinkle some real playmaking and finish and hockey IQ on top of that, and Graf, who still needs to add speed and strength, could be a mainstay in a winning Sharks’ line-up for the years to come.
Ryan Warsofsky
Warsofsky, on if Graf made the biggest leap from last year of any of his San Jose Barracuda-level prospects:
For sure.
He really worked hard this summer. He came in, in great shape. You could tell he worked on his skating, he worked on his conditioning. We saw that in training camp.
His hockey sense really helps him at this level of staying here, because you trust him in the line-up. Obviously, he gets rewarded with goals tonight, but he does the little things that probably a lot of people don’t see.
He’s the first guy over the boards on our penalty kill. And again, he’s gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff, and from his teammates, on how to play the right way.
Warsofsky, on Barclay Goodrow standing up for Macklin Celebrini after Dickinson’s high hit:
We’ve done it all year. Goody’s done it all year. We have some other guys that can do it.
I give a lot of credit for Goody. He’s been a great veteran for this team. He’s a true pro in every sense of the word. He gives you everything he’s got every single night. You know he’s going to show up, sticks up for his teammates.
I love him. He’s just a heart-and-soul guy. I know he had a lot of success here before, and he’s won a Stanley Cup.
What I see first-hand right now, it does not go unnoticed, because he does all the little things. He’s good for these younger players. He stands up for people. He’s been there since training camp in day one. So we’re happy he’s on our team.
Warsofsky joked, on Georgiev thinking about going for the empty net goal: “That’s why I’m going bald.”
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 14, 2025
Collin Graf
Graf, on thinking about the hat trick on his partial breakaway:
I mean any hockey player, if you’ve got two, you’re thinking about the third.
Graf, on Alexandar Georgiev going for the empty net goal:
I was like, holy shit. (laughs) I’ve seen it on video, but I’ve never seen a goalie goal in person.
Will Smith
Smith, on playing with Wennberg:
He’s awesome at entering the zone with the puck, and obviously attracts guys to him. He does that, obviously stuff’s gonna open up. When two guys go on him, that means there’s gonna be some more open ice for me.
Will Smith laughed, about if it felt good to score on Spencer Knight: "He's a BC boy though. So not too good."
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 14, 2025
Alex Wennberg
Wennberg, on Graf:
I feel like every game, he’s just getting better and better, and it’s fun to see, like he’s not only playing offensively, he’s playing PK, making great plays defensively. Those players that kind of play all over the eyes, 200-feet game, it’s really important to have.
Wennberg, on San Jose Sharks’ 1-1-3 neutral zone forecheck:
I feel like it’s been a good adjustment. Obviously, we’re kind of standing up, waiting for them a little bit, but it makes them, if you ask me, slow them down a little bit, maybe force a rim or something.
Wennberg, on Sharks’ consistently strong efforts through a lot of change over the last month or so:
A lot of stuff that happened. A lot of players had left, but the ones that are still here, everyone here is fighting for one another. No one is checked out. No one is here just to finish [the season] off. Everyone is working as hard as it gets. That just shows the character that we’ve built on this team, and that’s what you want to build on for the last couple of games here, but also next season.
Aww❤️ Warso put in a trap so we wont be 32nd in goals against….60 games into the season.
Ur dumb.
😂 thats exactly what happened wtf? It took him 50-60 games to make an adjustment and try a neutral zone trap. I said after the first month that we should do the Left wing Lock or something and just bear down and batten the hatches.
Our beloved Los Tiburones -Mark purdy.
are not structured or detail precise at all
dumb AF.
I’ve been thinking Graf has earned a spot in the top 6, and glad to see it happen last night. He’s so solid in all 3 zones that he’ll help any line he’s on, but it’s nice when he can spend his energy on creating offense with skilled players rather than defending all night with goodrow and dellandrea. I wonder if his development contributed to Zetterlund’s departure. While they play different styles and Zetterlund is physically stronger at this point, the organization may have felt there isn’t a need for both players, especially since neither have the size the team… Read more »
Graf is fairly decent on the PK & is defensively sound, can’t say that about Zetts. Graf is becoming the ideal 3rd liner: Good on the PK, sound D, intelligent, decent speed & physicality with some offensive pop. Does all of that describe Zetterlund? Just the latter part imo. Hence the trade…
When Lund & Musty arrive would love to see these lines:
Eklund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Musty-Wennberg-Smith
Graf-Ostapchuk-Lund
Goodrow-Giles-Delandrea/Grundstrom
Leave the D pairings alone, all are playing decent.
I think Chernyshov should probably slot in above Lund. Just an assumption though. I would probably assume Haltunnen is more likely for that 3rd line as well. By the TDL next year, Wennberg will likely be gone and Smith will be the full time 2C going forward… If the Sharks get Misa, the equation changes again. Edit: I should add that I’m not partial to any guy being handed the job. Who would have picked Graf out as the guy to step up this year? Just get Chernyshov, Lund, Haltunnen, Bystedt, Musty, Muldowney and whoever else out there for the… Read more »
Sorry, should have made clear I’m just talking about the end of this year as Lund & Musty’s seasons will be over sooner than Igors.
Ah ok… My guess is both probably still go to the Cuda, but maaaaaaaaayyyyybbbeee the team gives those guys the Graf treatment to let them see how far they have to go and how much work they need to put in to get back to the show. Dickinson is the guy I most wish could come up here, but London is too good. I kinda hate the London Knights, even though 2 of our guys play for them. Sudbury can suck eggs too. Saginaw is ok, they just aren’t talented on the backend beyond Parekh, who is all offense anyways… Read more »
I do not think Lund can go to Cuda, unless signs an Amateur tryout… ncaa players have to spend remainder of season in NHL if they sign a contract. Musty goes to Cuda, Lund goes to NhL if signs his ELC
Yes, the ATO is the only workaround for NCAA players burning Year 1 of their ELC to play in the AHL. See Bordeleau at the end of the ’21-’22 season. You’re correct about who can go where – the other possibility is that GMMG mentioned Havelid coming over (but that it seems unlikely given his Allsvenskan’s team’s standings).
Arch Mikel is right. If Lund signs his ELC he must play with the Sharks, unless he signs an ATO.
Even if he does, as far as I know, he can not play for the Cuda in the post season.
The same goes for Chernyshov and Musty.
I am fairly sure Chernyshov and Musty can dress for the AHL post season. It is not that a player had to be on the AHL roster before the trade deadline. It is just that they must not be on the NHL roster at the trade deadline.
fwiw, I was quite high on Graf after last season. Not surprised, but still its always fun to see someone who graduates, even if you felt it was a high probability event. He is a bit older, so he doesn’t have that 3-5 year runway a draft pick gets. His first few games last season, he was getting in passing lanes and creating offense when the play seemed static. Then the size and speed of the league took a toll and he disappeared. But he saw the game at a high level and the talent/skill were there. He just needed… Read more »
For the people wondering why Romanov doesn’t play. The most likely reason has always been that the team knows he is not an NHL-caliber goalie. Well behind Georgiev, even. I know he played a couple games last year with good results, but that is obviously a small sample and I am guessing he was pretty lucky. A .904 goalie in the AHL is gonna have a tough time in the NHL. It is a huge difference. I made a point to watch him in warmups last night. Numerous times, when he actually stopped a puck, he’d get hit by the… Read more »
Will Smith 20 pts in the last 19 games. Is it possible he can do this over an entire season next year? I mean, he’s gonna be crushing leg day in the gym all offseason and I think we all expect him to show up heavier and faster when camp kicks off… Why can’t he? The Sharks might have two guys at a point per game, maybe Eklund has another gear and can get to the 70pt level? Toffoli should be predictable… Maybe add a top winger? Maybe 2-4 kids come in and ramp up over the year? It’s such… Read more »
A much crazier question is if Will Smith should be entering the conversation for the US Olympic team. He’s outscoring a lot of guys on the 4 Nations squad at his current rate, and unlike those guys, his trajectory is up, not down
Macklin should be a no-doubter for Canada.
It would be absolutely huge for the Sharks to start landing guys on those USA and Canada squads
Edit: Eklund should make Sweden as well
Have to see what he looks like to start next season. Right now he doesn’t play hard enough to supplant any of the top 6-9 of team USA. By the next one in 5 years I would think he’ll be a lock though.
Right now Smith’s comp is Bobby Ryan, he oozes offensive acumen but his poor skating will keep him out of the ultra elite club.
His skating isn’t nearly that bad.
Do not be surprised if Eklund left off…See if he goes to Worlds and how he does there, that is probably really his audition. Sweeden, I think has been historically biased for SHL players; they have left off better NHL guys in support of those in their backyard. Maybe that will change a bit as they really want to be a powerhouse and are becoming one. It makes sense in a way, but also does not.
One thing to remember that DW always used to say… the team isn’t finished day one of camp. They may be snagging guys in the first month as teams see what they’ve got.
Good points, and if Smith isn’t on a top 2 line, he probably won’t be selected for 3rd or 4th line rolls next year. Let’s see how it goes, as you said.
Macklin and Eklund should be booking their hotel rooms in Italy, though, I feel
Cheech was a very poor skater but was really productive for A 4-5 year stretch, Pavs wasn’t a poor skater like Cheech just really slow and he carved out a HOF career. The player I remember really working on his skating and really making a huge improvement was Justin Braun. I don’t think smith will ever be a burner or anything close but it would be awesome if he worked on his explosion and burst. He’s got the puck on a string and has eyes in the back of his head can you imagine if he had the athleticism/skating of… Read more »
Just work hard this offseason, I think physical strength is very much in his control and he can make massive improvements there, then if he comes in just a little better with his skating or whatever, it can only help. He’s playing super well in a man’s league right now and it’s only up from here
He’s already a lot bigger than he was at BC, he’s on the right track.
I think he has the potential to be Steve Yzerman if he gets his legs under him.
Also Brendan Dillon very noticeably improved his skating in one offseason after the SCF loss, and it kept getting better every year
Dillon looked like he dropped some weight, added some muscle. He became a wonderful complimentary player after a mixed first season. The sort of player that seemed to bring out the best in his partner.
Little know Dillon stat. He was a mainstay on the Sharks PK and nearly had a perfect season. 81 games played with zero goals against on the PK. In game 82, there were 2 goals against on the PK.
That is almost unbelievable lol. Really?
2015-16
76GP, 75 minutes of PK, 3 GF 2 GA, both GA in the last game of the season.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20152016&thruseason=20152016&stype=2&sit=4v5&score=all&stdoi=oi&rate=n&team=S.J&pos=S&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
Crazy, he won his time 4 on 5. Didn’t think that was possible
Holy shit that’s amazing!
Dillon really grew on me. I think about him every trade deadline now after seeing how difficult that was for him leading up to his eventual trade. Unless he’s playing against the Sharks, I’ll root for that kid every time he’s on the ice.
Love Dilly
He can do it over an entire season, but it’s not clear that will be next season. Young players and players on teams lacking depth tend to be more dramatically up-and-down from season to season. But for sure, when Smith was drafted, the conventional wisdom is that he will be a point-per-game guy in the NHL, maybe even have some 100-point seasons along the way. He might have gone 1st overall in some weaker draft years. The only reason Smith went 4th was the freakishly good draft class with Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, and Michkov (who might have gone ahead of… Read more »
Eventually I think that’s likely. But next season might be a challenge. Player development isn’t necessarily a straight line and I expect some ups and downs over the next season or two…especially if/when he moves back to center.
Its fair to say the 4 rookies which have made it have all exceeded expectations. Expectations were reasonably high for Smith and Celebrini, both are easily clearing those at this point. One might look at Smith’s overall season and take it down a peg, but its mot useful to look at where he is now, and being 1 ppg player over a 1/4 of the season isn’t a fluke. It might not be the new norm, but clearly, he’s legit top 6 sort right now. I had higher expectations for Graf than most, many wondered if he was an AHL-level… Read more »
Keep in mind that Graf played three seasons in NCAA, so he will be older than most prospects coming into the pros. He’s a great story. Undrafted due to being so small and sleight. 5 foot 8 in the 150s. He’s over 50 pounds heavier and 5 inches taller in 4 years. He started playing at a small school before transferring to Quinnepiac. As he’s learned to play a small man’s game originally and is still adjusting to his newfound body while adjusting to the pro game over this season, Graf is proof that hard work and determination can pay… Read more »
Graf signed as a college FA… free asset. That’s awesome roster building.
Thrun was a 3rd, Graf for nothing. Both guys a bit further in their development when the Sharks made the commitment. Whether they work out or not, its low risk for solid reward potential.
That Graf is panning out and Thrun remains a bit more of a TBD is a big win.
The Graf situation was mutually beneficial. We had the opportunity to offer him, and he had his potential to offer us. It’s all worked out swimmingly thus far for both parties.
Graf’s development really takes the sting out of the way that 2020 draft class totally fizzled. At certain points, it looked like there might be four NHLers in the group. Now, not so much. Nice to get a free prospect on a similar timeline.
Can’t draft almost exclusively from the lollipop guild and expect good results. Almost as bad as drafting only Finnish players for a whole draft.
Brandon Coe is 6’4 dude.
Thrun is well on his way to becoming a 3rd pair D in the NHL minimum. Show a high dedication to improving in the offseason and it produces tangible results. Good size, intelligent, and another off season improving his skating and strength and he should be very reliable.
I’m so high on Graf, I love his awareness and natural hockey sense I hope he stays around for a long time I like his game and his demeanor, he always seems confident and locked in.
Well there were a lot of things to like about that game, most of which have already been mentioned. Will Smith’s continued surge has just been amazing to watch. I know he followed a similar trajectory at BC last year, but he was still a PPG player for the first half of the season. It’s not like he looked out of place. In the NHL, he did and now he looks like a threat every time he’s on the ice. That is a huge leap for a teenager to take at hockey’s highest level. He’s a special player, and the… Read more »
I hope there ends up being a Smith vs Bedard debate but; I think Bedard probably gets a pass by most since his most frequent linemate is Ryan Donato Donato has 49 points in 64 games this season. Donato’s previous high was 31 points in 74 games. Bedard gets 0 help.
“…in the wake of a scorched earth trade deadline, the vibes still seem good…”
That’s a really great point.
And agreed re Chicago’s rebuild; so far at least. I’d be feeling uneasy as a Hawks fan, granted Davidson (he’s the GM right?) hasn’t done a very good job of surrounding Bedard with quality vets (I think Grier’s done a much better job in that regard).
To me, Chicago looks like it needs a better coach for their situation. haven’t seen enough to know that, but that’s the sense I get. Bedard, for example, is the guy who sees the play well ahead of everyone else. That’s his superpower. I saw nothing like that in either appearance. Almost feel like the coaching is taking that away from him. That said, I think CHI is further along than it appears, as long as Knight becomes a solid NHL goalie. He certainly has upside well beyond just solid. The hardest group to assemble is the defensive group and… Read more »
Yeah, I’d agree that Chicago’s a bit further ahead, assuming of course some of those d-men become impact NHLers and Knight is able to overcome his personal issues and become the player he was projected to be when he was drafted, what, 10 or 11 overall or something like that.
If Chicago wins the 1st overall pick this draft it will be interesting to see what they do. Sounds like most articles these days are pumping Schaefer as the top prospect, but if I’m Chicago, I’m really leaning towards Misa.
They should draft Schaefer and trade one of their lesser defensive prospects for a center or winger prospects. Could probably get 2 players for 1 depending on which player they decide to trade.
Chicago might be further ahead in the sense that they started earlier, but the Sharks have better pieces.
How about the fact that Mac out shined Bedard so much. If we won the Bedard Lottery I bet you anything that the league would have stacked the deck and not given us Mac. Mac is so much more active and tenacious than Bedard.
No ones stacking the deck other than th weighted system already in place. All this conspiracy theory crap is how we ended up with a Mango Mussolini.
I’ll keep saying it… the team continuing to show up has a lot to do with coaching IMO. They’ve made sure the boys understand that they’re building and the TDL wasn’t punishment. It’s a one step back for 3 steps forward next season. So guys that want to be part of the solution next season need to show it now to build that trust.
as far as rebuilds, chicagos defensive prospects are spectacular as a group. I prefer Celly but would trade almost anyone for one of their stud defensive prospects.
Idk. A lot of those studs have seen their stock fall. The only prospect in the system that Wheeler had ranked above Dickinson is Levshunov and they were only three slots apart on a list of 100. Korchinski hasn’t had a smooth or linear development journey. Those are their top two prospects on defense. Who would you target?