San Jose Sharks
Dickinson’s Challenge: How Hard Is It for 19-Year-Old D-Man To Be Full-Time NHL’er? (+)

Next season, Sam Dickinson will be trying to do something that a San Jose Sharks defenseman hasn’t done in a long time.
The 2024 No. 11 pick, who will be a 19-year-old defenseman in his D+2 year, will be looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL’er. It’s no small feat.
In San Jose Sharks history, there have been only three such blueliners (30-plus games played).
Player | Team | Draft Year | Pick | Season▼ | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | ATOI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mirco Mueller | SJS | 2013 | 18 | 2014-15 | 39 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -8 | 16:58 |
Marc-Édouard Vlasic | SJS | 2005 | 35 | 2006-07 | 81 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 13 | 22:11 |
Mike Rathje | SJS | 1992 | 3 | 1993-94 | 47 | 1 | 9 | 10 | -9 | N/A |
They’re all instructive examples of the challenge awaiting Dickinson, who’s still playing for the Memorial Cup at the moment, after a franchise record-breaking campaign with the London Knights. The 6-foot-3 Dickinson put up 29 goals and 62 assists in just 55 games this season, his 91 points setting a single-season record for a Knights rearguard.
What can we learn from the examples of Mirco Mueller, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Mike Rathje?