San Jose Sharks
Schaefer, Misa, Martone? Who Do Draft Experts Have Sharks Picking?
Now that the San Jose Sharks know they’ll be drafting at No. 2, who might they pick?
Around the May 5 Draft Lottery, insiders like Bob McKenzie and Craig Button of TSN, Chris Peters of FloHockey, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, Corey Pronman of The Athletic, Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet, and Elite Prospects shared either Draft rankings or mock drafts.
Three top prospects went second-overall in these Draft lists.
Matthew Schaefer (D)
Matthew Schaefer is the consensus No. 1 in this year’s draft.
While he’s been injured for most of this season – only playing 17 games with the Erie Otters of the OHL – he played at above a point-per-game pace while he was in, with 22 total points for seven goals and 15 assists.
The 6-foot-2 all-around blueliner is the only player in The Athletic’s top Draft tier, “NHL All-Star.”
So while many consider Schaefer to be the likely No. 1…Boston College forward James Hagens is a life-long New York Islanders fan. The Islanders won the lottery, jumping from 10th to first.
If the Islanders go for the hometown pick, that leaves the San Jose Sharks to pick up Schaefer, who fills the greatest organizational need, the blueline.
“When he played, there’s little questioning he was the best player in this class,” Peters said.
FloHockey’s Chris Peters sees real potential for Hagens to go first-overall.
Peters added that if Schaefer is available, the Sharks “would make this pick in a heartbeat.”
Michael Misa (C)
Misa is the consensus favorite to go to the San Jose Sharks at the moment.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie and The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and Elite Prospects had Misa as their second-best Draft prospect.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis and Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino had the Sharks going with Misa in their mock drafts.
The 6-foot-1 center, playing for the Saginaw Spirit, led the way in the OHL this season with a league-leading 134 points – 62 goals for second and and 72 assists for fourth.
“Misa is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the CHL and is on track for one of the most impressive goal-scoring draft campaigns that we’ve seen out of the OHL in quite some time,” Ellis wrote for Daily Faceoff.
“He’s a high-end skater with clear NHL edge work and top speed,” Pronman said in The Athletic. “He’s highly-skilled and creative with tremendous vision. His ability to improvise in tight areas and on the move is elite and makes it easy to envision him scoring in major numbers in the NHL.”
The two-way pivot has already been growing a connection with one San Jose Sharks prospect – winger Igor Chernyshov, who joined him with the Spirit for the latter part of the season, to much success.
The only drawback to Misa seems to be that he plays center, where the Sharks already appear deep in both Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.
Porter Martone (RW)
If the San Jose Sharks don’t want a center, and Schaefer isn’t available, Porter Martone seems to be the next best option, at least according to Craig Button from TSN.
A right winger and captain for the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL this season, Martone sits ninth in assists in the OHL with 61 and eight in total points with 98, through 57 games played.
He’s likely the biggest option at the top of the draft, at nearly 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, something that The Athletic’s Pronman says makes his skill with the puck impressive.
“Mike Grier is building a team,” Button said for TSN. “He’s got Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini up the middle of the ice. He’s got a stud defenseman in Sam Dickinson. He doesn’t have anybody like Porter Martone.”
So maybe Martone brings that something different for the San Jose Sharks.
But at the same time, Mike Grier has said that he’s not planning to draft based on need.
So any of these three names could end up in teal by the end of June, and don’t rule out centers Hagens, Anton Frondell, and Caleb Desnoyers yet either.
The Islanders would be crazy to draft Hagens at 1. Unless they just have to have him and neither Chicago nor Utah wants to come up to #1 for Schaefer/Misa. But, they don’t have to have him that badly. The Sharks would also be pretty nuts to not do the same, taking Misa or Schaefer at 2 or else trading the pick. I still think it is critical to remember Grier said the Sharks top 5 is different from 80% of the league’s. I kinda think this starts at #3 and not the very top, but it makes them strong… Read more »
I interpreted Grier’s statement the same way. If the Sharks had landed in the three hole, I think they’d have moved down and taken McQueen even with the injury concerns. But it seems like it would be nuts to trade out of the first or second spot this year, unless Buffalo offers up Dahlin.
yup.
Will keep coming back to the “don’t overthink it” theme. The only way I start to think about alternatives is if someone gives me a really great reason. Dahlin is that sort of reason.
But I’m so liking what I hear about Misa, I think moving him for Dahlin (as the centerpieces) is trading future HoFers.
Finishing 3rd overall would have been a very different world!! Glad we’re not living in it.
If the Isles trade down in hope of getting Hagens (or Frondell), I’m guessing the ask is an unprotected 1st for next season. Wouldn’t do it with Utah, though, I think they’re too good next season and probably not a lottery pick.
I think that’s just the media drumming up a little non-existent uncertainty to have something to talk about. Islanders have been handed a chance to draft a future franchise player. They’re not going to mess around just because so-and-so was a “life-long Islanders fan.” That’s nonsense.
I doubt Grier is thinking too hard about this one. Dropping to #2 pretty much means Islanders will make his decision for him.
This is where I disagree. The Islanders organization and fan community still feel the sting of John Tavares leaving for the Leafs in free agency. They know they aren’t a destination franchise and picking a local kid that was the consensus top pick not too long ago would be a huge marketing windfall but more importantly, would help them rest easy that he isn’t going to bolt in UFA in 7 seasons.
An up until this year Hagens has been the consensus number one, had he not gone to BC to play against “men” he probably would be in the discussion about 1st over all. Really think not having a Smith type of year with Same guys around him, changed the narrative. However, probably really good for his development as 5’11” Center. I think that is another factor that could play in NYI along with, the Tavares sting.
Hagens had Leonard and Perrault on his wings and they put up similar number(11 &12 points less but still close) to last year. Only down part was they didnt have a separate threat on another line like Gauthier
Shaffer to the Islanders . Just like Potvin!!!!
So instead of drafting the best possible player you will make a draft decision based on some psychological speculation on the player’s free agency thought process a decade from now?
Hmm. Okay.
Why aren’t we a destination? All the Islanders love Long Island ! Best school’s, best restaurants homes go up better than anywhere else . 30 minutes from Manhattan!!!! UBS brand new. Etc Schaffer to the Islanders !!!! Mayfield, Pulock , Odelus and Barzal for the 2 pick !
If they’re set on him they have to trade down.
Or, and back to my earlier point, they embrace the marketing point of view of taking the local kid first overall. I know it isn’t logical from a hockey ops standpoint, but thinking about it holistically as a franchise I can see it. Plus it isn’t like the Islanders avoid doing kooky things.
It would be so dumb. They could easily get more assets to trade down to 4 or 5 and still get the kid.
I suppose a lot depends on if they want to value cultural ties/organizational fit, or just the quality of the prospect. It’d be a helluva decision……..if they had a GM to make it!
You can’t ever make decisions like that in the first round based on cultural ties.
Darche is signing on Monday.
There picking Schaffer . But not 4 or 5 . If someone wants Hagens they have to take him by 3 .
I feel fans might actually like it more if the their team simply draft the BEST PLAYER.
Schaffer is going to be a Islander!
“The only drawback to Misa seems to be that he plays center, where the Sharks already appear deep in both Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.”
Too much depth a center. A drawback I’m more than thrilled to see the Sharks have to deal with …
Yeah it was kind of a silly comment in the article. Teams can never have too many centers.
Just like we had too many centers with Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Couture, and Hertl haha. Shame we had to scratch one of them since you can only ice 4 centers.
Was an insane sentence to read that in the article.
Also made the conference finals before Thornton showed up with Damphouse, Marleau, McCauley, Ricci, Primeau. Center depth rules
Plus Misa only recently moved back to Center. I’d love putting him and Smith on a line with them each playing that hybrid role – i.e. whoever is taking the face off is the center.
With the lowest score of Goals in the league, Misa will help this stat immensely. This should be a gift to us.
whoever is the best defender plays center because the center is more active in the D zone. Will smith is not a top tier center because he simply just isn’t in to defending in the slot and behind the net, as Shorky likes to say “its not in his nature” . He loves to float around and wait for the puck to go the other way. He should want to play on Mac’s side for 10 years I’m not sure why he wants to play center. it’s so perfect to have Mac/smith and Misa/Igor
Cherny isn’t guaranteed to be a top 6 player. I think you’re taking my “not in his nature” comment out of context. Regardless, Smith can develop into a competent center defensively. Why do I think that? Because he has an incredibly advanced hockey mind. Also keep in mind, a good offense is a the best defense. ;P
Smith has played 1 year. Isn’t it worth giving him a bit more time before reaching conclusions?
if he had a high motor type game i would think he could do anything but he doesn’t get after it, he waits and watches and is good at it, it’s not a bad thing….yet, the pace in the playoffs is completely different from what we’re used to seeing every night, teams see us as a get well game and try to avoid contact and rest up for tougher teams on the schedule, especially as the season goes on.
So far he’s proven to be the type of player who elevates in important games. Maybe you’re just wrong?
Which important games did the Sharks play in last year?
Dude, seriously…? I’m talking about college, NDTP…
He played center until he went to that team and they put him on the wing for 2 years until moving him back to his natural position. It’s not like he’s new to center.
I’m always interested in ‘best player available.’ This is already the highest level attainable. Why would they not choose Misa if Schaeffer is gone? Seems like a fan problem, not a GM problem.
You can’t do that always. You have to fill positions .
It’s Craig Button. You take what he says with an 1/8 of a grain of salt.
Misa seems to be an absolute stud. Schafer just doesn’t have the sample size, but I’m obviously no scout.
If the Isles go with the hometown kid than it’s really a crapshoot. Is the best player available Schafer or Misa, because that’s what it would come down to if you believe Grier.
Islanders are not selecting Hagen’s. Maybe trade for him .
Mayfield Pulock Odelus and there choice of ANDERS or Barzal .
Most people put him at a big reach at 2OA, but I can’t help feel like Caleb Desnoyers is the perfect kind of player for the team the Sharks are trying to build. Sky high hockey IQ, a 200 foot game, high compete and physical too. Celebrini/Desnoyers could be a 1-2 punch at center that grinds out playoff wins. He just seems like a prototypical Grier type of player.
We should go BPA of course, but if we got an offer to trade back, and we added some assets and then picked Desnoyers I would still be pretty excited.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Sharks basically bundle the rest of their high value picks to move up and snag someone like Desnoyers in addition to Misa.
Yeah especially if he slips, some lists have him closer to 8/9, but we’ll see closer to draft. I think a lot of lists haven’t been updated yet.
What kind of package gets this done? Let’s say we are at the draft and it’s #8OA and Desnoyers is on the board. Go!
Also have to keep in mind it’s realistic that these same assets could be used for Knies, Peterka, Dobson, Samberg and who knows who else… These picks are valuable as hell because any contending team will need them to upgrade in season after they can LTIR somebody
Dobson is going nowhere. It’s going to be Schaffer and Dobson like Potvin and Person!!!! Mayfield,Pulock, Odelus and There choice of Barzal or Lee .
I think it would kinda have to be the Dallas first, Sharks second and Ottawa second to get that high. To your point, that might not be worth it. If he slips into the 11-13 range and they can just package up the Dallas first and Sharks second, I’d do that. Pretty much dooms next year’s team, but the future would be blindingly bright.
To your point, any offers I’m trying to put together to pull away RFAs have to be compared to who we could get from every other team. If Grier is willing to give up multiple 1sts, better find out who’s available and pick the right guy for the price, whether it’s Knies, Desnoyers or possibly someone we have no idea is even available until Grier brings the thunder, Joe Thornton style
It’s probably both late firsts to get that high. Maybe a little more. It took 2 late firsts to grab Asky who was drafted #11. Somewhere there’s a draft pick value chart o figure out what it takes to move up. From listening to podcasters it sounds like it’s been pretty accurate.
personally I’m in the camp of using those late firsts to improve the team next season over drafting another prospect.
for anyone wanting to go down a fun ‘hypothetical trade’ rabbit hole. About a dozen trades in 18 minutes. Some are pretty clever, a few are out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxqKcszYwtk
Zero reason to overthink this. Tier one prospects are Schaefer and Misa. Whoever falls to the Sharks is the pick. Full stop. The Sharks don’t need a ton more prospects and it has been over a decade since a number two pick was traded because it ended so bad. The beauty of this is GMMG doesn’t need to choose. Either we have insane depth at center with even more insane flexibility in our top six of the near future or we acquire the final piece to complete our prospect pool with what will be a top pair defenseman. No matter… Read more »
In my mind, Misa has already been drafted and I’m sniffing Misa glue. The only reality that could break that up for me is Schaefer falling to #2. I really am satisfied with Misa though, I’ve loved what I’ve seen, and that’s kind of a lot since he’s in all of Chernyshov’s highlights.
I tend to agree it’s either misa or Schaefer. If the isles draft Hagens it would be up there with one of the worst decisions. Watched a lot of BC games and Smitty WAS far more dominant than Hagens. And Hagens centered the same line with Perrault and Leonard and didn’t have HALF Smiths numbers. I think Schaefer is the bigger piece needed for our Stanley cup puzzle piece. But misa is very good though.
I do not disagree, only thing I would say is Smith played at BC after being drafted, so he had another year on Hagens. Yet, I am very much on him being a reach at 1OA or 2nd
Hagens also got to play with Smiths line mates when they were in their 2nd year of college so it may not be equal but it should have been easier for Hagen to produce than Smith.
The age difference is only 8 months, too. I think everyone just didn’t think Smith was as good as he is. Celebrini knew it. Wheeler put out a mailbag about ranking the last 3 drafts with pre-draft hype factored in, and I always just skip the preambles and go to the lists, where Hagens was rated above Smith, meaning Wheeler thinks Hagens is better this year than he thought Smith was in 2023. Pretty interesting, but shows you how underrated Smith is. Misa is ranked 4th on pre-draft hype above Carlsson but below Fantilli. I think the fact that Fantilli… Read more »
From seeing his progression this season and knowing he basically did the same thing in college as far as rapidly “figuring out” the league, I expect Smith to surpass what draft experts thought about him. To be fair though, his initial scouting for the draft by at least 1 writer said he had the potential to develop into a dynamic #1 center offensively and someone else compared his creativity to Kucherov. I think even many Sharks fans are sleeping on just how good he may be. I know Boom Boy is for sure. 😜😘
Yep, all true.
Anyone going to the draft party at the Shark Tank? I’ll be there, last year was a blast. I stayed until the Dickinson pick and then the wife had enough not long after that. No way we get to the Dallas pick, but I’ll probably hang around for the top 10 just in case
Will Dickinson join the Sharks next season for sure?
I think he probably does.
simply put Misa has a sparkling resume and checks every box, tangible and intangible. He could probably roll out of bed and play some good 4th line minutes tomorrow in the Stanley cup playoffs. Schaefer however is at least 4 if not 5 years away. I wouldn’t be shocked if NYI takes Misa.
Schaefer is at most 2 seasons away. No ones getting drafted top 5 that’s 4-5 years away from the NHL. That’s crazy…!
Maybe he meant 4-5y from handling top-4 minutes?
I think 21-22 years old would be a reasonable time frame for a No1 defenseman’s eta. And yes I’m talking about being a reliable defenseman in the Stanley cup playoffs.
I think the fact that he only played 17 games this season, that might be enough to push the Isles to take Misa instead. I still think they pick Schaefer, but I don’t think it’s as easy of a decision as a lot of writers are making it out to be. The other scenario I could see is Chicago trading up to #1 (#3 + #34 or maybe #29 instead?), this gives Chicago Misa to run with Bedard, Isles are almost guaranteed to get their life long fan in Hagens, and they pick up a very early 2nd round pick.… Read more »
Ah so now that I called you out you changed the parameters. Typical.
Wasn’t there a rookie who debuted in the playoffs this year? And holding his own? Certain kids are just remarkable that way. (Appreciate if anyone can remember who it was.)
Are you talking about Hutson? He was Schaefers age 4 years ago.
They’re talking about Zeev Buium.
Minny was forced to shelter Buium in a major way, and that’s tough to do against a team like Vegas because they are huge and Buium isn’t. Buium did ok, all things considered, but this is a guy who some day they are hoping will QB a lethal power play on top of competent 2 way play and that is a work in progress, as anyone would expect. I still think the Sharks made the right choice taking Dickinson and I’ll believe that even if he doesn’t quite pan out. They needed the size and skating baseline that Dickinson has.… Read more »
It is rare that top drafted players have the opportunity to play in the playoffs soon after getting drafted as their NHL teams tend to remain bad for a few years, but two notable recent examples come to mind of players whose first NHL action was in the playoffs: in 2017 I had no idea who the 19 yr old Charlie McAvoy was and was shocked to see how effective he was for Boston in the first round that year. And in 2019 I should have known (but didn’t) about the 20 yr old Cale Makar who dazzled debuting against… Read more »
Makar was a revelation in 2019 for sure. Buium was not that, but he also wasn’t terrible in sheltered minutes.
He also wasn’t even drafted in the 1st let alone top 5.
Just look at the last 5 years of the teams that have been right there in the conference finals, what kind of D core did they have and what kind of players led the way? I don’t see Schaefer as that kind of defenseman that is invaluable to a cup run but I can picture Misa being the top line matchup defensive center and using his speed and skating to wreak havoc in a more disruptive way than Mac would I think better to solidify our top 2 centers than to have an offensive defenseman. I’m just hoping the Isles… Read more »
It’s just so hard to take a 17yo with literally no resume over a guy who has been battle tested and just dominated playing with older players since he was what 15?
You said he’s 4-5 years a way. He’s not. It’s that simple. Schaefer is very much the type of D-man necessary for a cup run if he truly is a #1 all situation D as he’s being touted. He has size, incredible skating, vision, hands… he’s pretty great so far.
If the Islanders for some reason decide “19 games of great” isn’t enough for them and they go another direction, I think it’s a defensible decision because Misa is going to be awesome and Hagens will probably be pretty dang good, too. But I’d be over the moon if Schaefer somehow falls to #2.
The highlights of Schaefer look amazing to me. I was dreaming about him all year, but since the Sharks were the boy who didn’t win the lottery (I wouldn’t call it a “loss”), now I’m all in on Misa. But Schaefer always seems to be in the right spot, he’s got good size, he’s super young for the draft year (Aitcheson is nearly a FULL year older, for example) he looks like a hummingbird on skates out there, and I love his offensive playmaking. I didn’t see any Dahlin highlights, but Schaefer is the best D-man for me at least… Read more »
2 of Sheng’s prior guests, Chris Peters and Cam Robinson, just did a top 16 mock draft.
Not that they put much stock in it themselves, but it shows how ‘off the rails’ this draft could go and why GMMG’s ‘best player available’ makes so much sense. Great discussion.
I’m calling this an ‘ode to not overthinking it”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiXV319b2dU&t=4140s
Schaefer
Misa
Martone
McQueen (bill of health caveat)
Desnoyers
Frondell
Mrkta
Hagens
Brady Martin
Eklund
Aitcheson
Jake O’Brien
Lakovic
Carter Bear
Jackson Smith
Carbonneau
I was watching Scouching’s mock draft and despite all his Mrtka deconstruction, he still said he could go as high as #4 to Utah to pair with Simashev and specifically said it had the potential to be like Pronger paired with Scott Stevens. So he clearly doesn’t hate Mrtka at all, I think his focus is just on what guys aren’t doing right now.
Mattias Havelid signs his ELC. Not sure the Sharks future D Corps can take that many short kings but it’s been very hard to find English-language coverage of his development so I’d be curious to hear how he’s come along.
I’m betting one or 2 are on the move in the next couple seasons.
Do you mean defensive prospects? Curious to hear your predictions if I’m understanding you correctly
As much as I love Cags I just don’t see any future where any combo of he and Havelid, Polkamp etc are playing for the NHL club at the same time. Either one bottoms out or one is traded at some point before the end of their ELCs. That’s not even mentioning Ferraro. My bet is when this team makes the playoffs again there won’t be more than 1 D-man shorter than 6′.
I know you like Thrun so who do you see moving? One of the SweDish trio of Havelid/Landen/Sahlin-Wallenius (all of whom have contracts and therefore at least some interest from the org)? Or are you lower on like Furlong or Pohlkamp?
I wouldn’t say I “like” thrun as much as I’m not ready to give up on him yet. I thought he made huge strides towards fixing the things I harped on endlessly after his cup of coffee in his first season. His foot speed. He clearly struggled with it after getting injured so maybe that was a leg injury? He’s got the right size and he’s very intelligent. If they trade him for something better I’m fine with that and if they keep him and try to continue to develop him I’m fine with that too.
Not that I think it’d happen, but since there is no GM for the Isles at this moment, we don’t any insights on their thinking. But if they do really like hometown prospect James Hagens, then it makes sense for them to trade down and get perhaps Alex Vlasic and the Blackhawks 3rd overall pick. That makes the Isles substantially better, quickly. While the Blackhawks give up a really good player, but in an area they have a lot of good young talent. The Isles missed Mat Barzal for much of last season while Dobson had a down year. yet… Read more »
Mayfield Pulock Odelus and Barzal for second pick ?