Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to KeynoteUSA Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
LAS VEGAS – How does the rest of the league view the Sharks’ 2024 NHL Draft?
San Jose Hockey Now reached out to several NHL scouts and league sources, all outside of the Sharks, to get their thoughts and grades on Macklin Celebrini and beyond.
Before we get to his overall grades (and mine), let’s hear some of his thoughts, in preliminary order, on center Celebrini, defenseman Sam Dickinson, winger Igor Chernyshov, defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius, winger Carson Wetsch, goalkeeper Christian Kirsch, defender Colton. Roberts, defenseman Nate Misskey and goalkeeper Yaroslav Korostelyov.
Sharks director of scouting Chris Morehouse and director of player personnel Scott Fitzgerald also provided some perspective.
Macklin Celebrini (Selection No. 1)
The 6-foot center, who has been compared favorably to Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby, is responsible for a level of enthusiasm among Sharks fans that I haven’t seen since I started covering the team in 2018-19. The 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the last time Sharks fans were this excited about anything.
“There’s no better organization (to join) right now,” Wetsch said of being selected by the Sharks. “It’s going to be the best.”
I honestly don’t think the 18-year-old would have said that if the Sharks hadn’t drafted Celebrini. Celebrini, who projects himself as a franchise player, makes people believe.
Let’s see if it can live up to the immense expectations.
Sheng’s rating: A-plus
Sam Dickinson (11th pick)
Dickinson or Zeev Buium will be the subject of heated debate for years to come.
He’s the new Will Smith or Matvei Michkov for Sharks fans.
One league source believes the 6-foot-3 Dickinson is somewhat “over his head,” that his ceiling isn’t as high as Buium’s.
Scout No. 1 admits that possibility, but with a caveat: “It depends on whether his shooting translates to the NHL… He can make it.”
There are questions about whether Dickinson’s offense will translate to the NHL, and that’s what will likely limit his ceiling.
“Solid D all around,” Scout No. 2 said, before predicting, “It’ll be a top pair for you guys in 3 to 5 years.”
However, Dickinson will hopefully make it to the NHL before then.
“He’s close to being NHL ready,” said Scout No. 1. “Great size. Elite skating too.”
Dickinson is a safe pick with a lot of potential – the question is how much.
Sheng Grade: A
Igor Chernyshov (pick no. 33)
No one would have been surprised if the Russian winger had been selected in the top sixteen spots in the first round.
Instead, the Sharks landed the 6-foot-9 winger with the first pick of the second day.
“He has a lot of skill and common sense. When he wants to go all out and compete, he is a physical monster, very difficult to contain,” said Scout No. 2. “The defensive aspect of the game? He wants to go out and score goals and hit people and whatever. Defensive play is not his strong suit.”
No problem. Chernyshov looks like a safe bet, as did Quentin Musty at the end of the first round last year.
Sheng’s rating: A
Leo Sahlin Wallenius (Pick #53)
Sahlin Wallenius is a bit more polarizing.
The 6-foot-3 defenseman skates well and can move the puck, but his defensive and hockey intelligence are questionable.
“I have big concerns about Sahlin Wallenius’ hockey sense, his ability to process the game quickly enough,” Scout No. 3 said.
Of course, at the 53rd pick, you’re going to run into flawed prospects. Still, he’s a real talent.
Sheng Grade: B
Carson Wetsch (Pick #82)
“He’s a toe-to-toe shaker. Some team might like that. They might think this guy is Matthew Tkachuk-lite. I don’t know,” Scout No. 2 said. “He skates really well. He’s very competitive. But that’s about it. (He’s) more like Brendan Lemieux.”
It might be a bit high to pick a Lemieux, a fourth-line firebrand without much offense.
For what it’s worth, though, Lemieux was a second-round draft pick in 2014: Teams always crave potential culture creators.
“He’s a high-energy guy,” No. 3 scout Wetsch said of the 6-foot-1 winger, “but he’s not that big and he doesn’t have offense, so I don’t see value in that.”
That said, Wetsch finished 70th in Bob McKenzie’s final draft rankings, a survey of 10 NHL amateur scouts, so he was valued by other teams.
Sheng Grade: B-
Christian Kirsch (Election No. 116)
Morehouse said the 6-foot-3 Swiss netminder was the best goalie on the Sharks’ board.
Goalies are voodoo, of course, so it’s great news that the Sharks, who are in desperate need of goalie prospects, have landed their man.
Kirsch wasn’t among the most anticipated players in the 2024 draft, but this position is so random that it doesn’t matter as much.
I wonder if they could have waited for Kirsch?
Kirsch was the third in a streak of three consecutive goalie picks, after Nicholas Kempf and Dmitry Gamzin, so maybe not.
Sheng’s grade: C+
Colton Roberts (pick #131)
“Roberts is a great physical D, he plays hard and heavy, but he doesn’t have a super defined game either defensively or offensively. He needs to work on both,” said Scout No. 2. “It will be a good kind of closure if everything goes well.”
The 6-foot-4 defenseman was ranked 84th in McKenzie’s final rankings, so signing him this late seems like a solid value.
Sheng grade: B
Nate Misskey (Pick #143)
“Misskey is a good surplus D for Victoria. Smart, moves a puck very well, big, physical, but has some (mistakes) outbursts and moments of indifference, both defending and moving the puck,” said Scout No. 2.
Sheng’s grade: B-minus
Yaroslav Korostelyov (Election #194)
Morehouse said the little-known 6-foot-2 Russian netminder was second or third on the Sharks’ goaltending board.
“He’s a very underrated goalkeeper, he had an injury that affected his development a little bit,” said Scout No. 4.
Again, goaltending is very hit and miss and the Sharks needed to infuse younger goalies into their organization.
They did it and got two underrated goalies they like: Kirsch and Korostelyov.
You can’t argue with that in the seventh round.
Sheng grade: B
Sharks 2024 Draft Qualifier
What’s the consensus among scouts? The Sharks really made a killing with their first picks, so what they did later in the draft wasn’t as crucial.
“At least an A, if not an A+,” said Scout No. 1. “Their first four picks are really good.”
“I’d give the Sharks an A,” said scout No. 2. “Two major contributors in Celebrini and Dickinson. Probably a first-round value in Chernyshov. Wallenius has potential to be an excellent second-pair puck-mover. Wetsch can be a culture man. Late-season potential in big goalie Kirsch and the two big Ds.”
“Probably an A,” said Scout No. 3. “The biggest picks were good.”
Who am I to cause trouble? I give the Sharks an “A” grade for their 2024 draft.
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