As the 2000/01 approaches, the Sharks have question marks ranging from who will make it, who will be signed, and who will be thrust into action sooner than expected.
With the number of potential holdouts, it would not be inconceivable to see faces like Jim Montgomery, Shawn Heins, Robert Jindrich and Jarrett Deuling to see action, where otherwise, they would almost assuredly be in Kentucky of the AHL. They are combined with the possible debuts of Mark Smith and Matt Bradley, which adds up to some very interesting, and frightening possibilities for the Sharks.
The first hurdle the Sharks are faced with is signing many of their young players. There are still eight players who are restricted free agents, including the team’s identity, Owen Nolan, their goaltender, Steve Shields, and their possible future in Patrick Marleau. Also on the list are Yevgeni Nabokov, Marcus Ragnarsson, Marco Sturm, Todd Harvey and Alex Korolyuk. Read more»
Here is Part 2 of the Sharks draft review. If you missed Part 1, read it here: http://hockeysfuture.com/sharks91-95draftreview1.html
Again, this is an in-depth look back at every player the San Jose Sharks drafted during 1991-1995. This article will look back at the 94 and 95 drafts. At the end, there is a small recap of recent San Jose Sharks news. Enjoy!
1994 Entry Draft
11th Jeff Friesen
37th Angel Nikolov
66th Alexei Yegorov
89th Vaclav Varada
115th Brian Swanson
141st Alexander Korolyuk
167th Sergei Gorbachev
193rd Eric Landry
219th Evegni Nabokov
240th Tomas Pisa
245th Aniket Dhadphale
271st David Beauregard
The 1994 draft is probably the strongest the Sharks had from 91-95. It will probably go down as one of the better drafts of all-time for the Sharks (so far up there with 1997 and 1998). The Sharks were able to get a stud with the 11th pick (Jeff Friesen who could turn out to be the best player of the 94 class). The impressive part of this draft was the talent the Sharks got in the later rounds. Varada has turned into a key player in Buffalo, Korolyuk is awesome young forward who figures into the Sharks future, Nabokov is a solid goalie prospect, and Landry has NHL potential.
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Ever since the NHL has held Entry Drafts, drafting has largely determined how a team’s success, or there lack of. As you all have heard, the 2000 NHL just occurred. It’s now time to take a blast to the past! So here’s a look back at the Sharks drafts from 1991-1995, along with analyses, in-depth reports on prominent players, and “Where Are They Now?” of former Sharks prospects. Part 1 will deal with the drafts from 1991-1993. I hope you enjoy this update (just to warn you, it’s A LOT to read)!
1991 Entry Draft
2nd Pat Falloon
23rd Ray Whitney
30th Sandis Ozolinsh
45th Dody Wood
67th Kerry Toporowski
89th Dan Ryder
111th Fredrik Nilsson
133rd Jaroslav Otevrel
155th Dean Grillo
177th Corwin Saurdiff
199th Dale Craigwell
221st Aaron Kriss
243rd Mikhail Kravets
Well, that was the inaugural draft for the Sharks. Pat Falloon (taken right behind Eric Lindros) never panned out the way the Sharks expected, but they were able to find two gems in the second round (Whitney and Ozolinsh). None of the other draft picks have made a significant impact in the NHL. With the 2nd pick overall in any draft, you would like to get a franchise-type player, whom the organization can greatly benefit from. Pat could not fulfill that role, and has bounced around in the NHL as mainly a role player. With the emphasis on scouting not as great as today, the late picks did not pan out for the Sharks in 91. Here’s a further look.
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While the Sharks didn’t have a 1st round pick in this year’s draft for the first time, that didn’t stop them from staying aggressive as has been the trademark of Tim Burke and Dean Lombardi drafts. This was Lombardi’s 5th draft that he was in charge of, and this is the 4th year he has made a deal on draft day for a player he wants.
In 1996 the Sharks traded up to acquire Marco Sturm, in 1997 they traded up to pick Scott Hannan, in 1998 they traded down to pick Brad Stuart and got Jonathan Cheechoo in the process, and this year they traded their 2nd and 3rd round picks to acquire Tero Maatta. So far, all of the draft day deals the Sharks have made have paid off very well. If this is a sign of things to come, Maatta may some day turn into a very solid NHL player like the others have (or are prospected to become).
In the 2nd round, with the 41st pick, the Sharks chose defenseman, Tero Maatta from Finland. Playing last year for Jokerit of the junior league in Finland, he played 31 games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists, with 53 penalty minutes. He also played major parts in the Under-18, Viking, and Five-Nation’s tournaments.
Maatta fits the mold of many Sharks draftees, as he is a player who has improved his stock a great deal in the last year. At the midseason report, he was ranked 30th by the CSB, and soared 17 spots to finish 13th in the final rankings. At 6’1″ and 205lbs, he has grown into his frame, and as the year progressed, began to use his body more. Read more»
As the Sharks head into the 2000 draft, barring any draft day trades, the Sharks will not end up with any bluechip prospects, or anyone ready to fill holes immediately. Being a weak draft, and since the Sharks enter this draft with no first round pick, the chances of them picking up anyone of substance are slim.
Holes the Sharks may try to fill this year are up front, as their defense is set for years to come. Unless a top goaltending prospect drops into the 3rd round, I don’t expect them to pick a goalie until the 5th round. Their most important need at this point resides at left wing where the Sharks remain thin and center, which is still a question mark.
The Sharks’ 1st round selection belongs to the Montreal Canadians as a result of the deal that brought Vincent Damphousse to San Jose. Barring any draft day trades, which I would not be surprised at, the Sharks will enter a draft for the first time without a first round draft pick.
The Sharks hold the option whether to give Montreal this year’s 2nd round choice or their 2nd round choice in 2001 as a result of the Damphousse trade. My opinion is that the Sharks should give Montreal this year’s pick for 2 main reasons. First, this draft simply isn’t very good, and 2001′s draft is very good. Next year, the Sharks could easily acquire a 2nd tier prospect in the 2nd round (a player normally a late 1st rounder). Second, next year’s pick is likely to be lower given an expected improvement next year. Read more»
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