Musty Talks Pro Debut This Weekend, Trade Request, How He Grew This Year (+)

Quentin Musty is about to make his pro debut.

The San Jose Sharks’ 2023 first-round pick, after a prolific career with the Sudbury Wolves, joined the Barracuda for practice on Tuesday.

He probably won’t play on Wednesday at the Coachella Valley Firebirds but should debut this weekend at Tech CU Arena versus the Ontario Reign. He’s also eligible to suit up for the AHL playoffs.

“From what I’ve seen in rookie tournament and watching his film, I think he can help us,” head coach John McCarthy, whose Barracuda are in the middle of a playoff push, said. “The common things that guys coming from junior have to work on is playing in straight lines, stopping, starting. He can produce offense for us. It’s going to be the right offense. It’s going to be staying on the right side of the puck. And then when there’s a time, he’s got speed, he’s got a gap he likes, he’s got numbers, we want him to make a play.”

Musty was excited to start his pro career, but also sad to leave Sudbury, where he piled on 270 points in just 189 OHL games over four seasons.

It’s all pro hockey now for Musty, who will turn 20 on Jul. 6. The 6-foot-2 winger talked about his October trade request from the Wolves, where he improved most this year in Sudbury, his late-season injury, and watching Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith this season with the San Jose Sharks.

“Those guys, you can see they’re ready,” Musty said, “but I have a lot of work to do if I want to make that jump.”