Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they need to be 25 or under, have played under 15 games in the past season or have not spent significant time in the NHL as a whole over a three-year period.

Today, we’re breaking down the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The future looks bright, Sharks fans.

The team promoted Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith to full-time NHL duty last fall, and they both became impact players almost immediately. And here we are, all this time later, and the Sharks have another two top 10 prospects in Michael Misa and Sam Dikinson. Like Celebrini and Smith a year ago, they might both be in the opening day lineup come October, as well. The Sharks have one of the best pipelines in all of hockey as they continue their rebuild.

They’re still a few years away from being true contenders, but they’ve got a bit of everything. High-end scorers? Check. An elite defensive prospect? You bet. Not one, but two outstanding goalies? Yes sir! The Sharks have one of the most exciting futures in all of hockey, and we haven’t even seen what the pool is capable of.

Mike Grier and Co. will want to start turning things around sooner rather than later. They’ll be in the hunt to land Gavin McKenna or Keaton Verhoeff at the 2026 NHL Draft. But at some point, they’ll want to turn their kids into serious, long-term pieces of the team’s core.

Biggest Strength

Center depth is valuable, and the Sharks have more help down the middle than any team in the league. Celebrini and Smith are both centers (although Smith might spend more time on the wing) – and then there’s Misa, Filip Bystedt, Cole McKinney, Brandon Svoboda and Teddy Mutryn, among others. I feel very confident in the first three becoming NHLers, including Misa and Bystedt as early as this season. A special shoutout goes to San Jose’s crease, with both Yaroslav Askarov and Joshua Ravensbergen establishing themselves as future No. 1 goaltenders in the NHL.

Biggest Weakness

This is really nitpicky. But as much as I like the team’s improvement to the blueline as a whole, it feels like they’re missing true depth on the right side. Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Haoxi Wang are all solid prospects, but they shoot left. Eric Pohlkamp and Mattias Havelid might have futures in depth roles, but they’re the best availabe on the right side and are far from being NHLers.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Mike Grier
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Chris Morehouse
Dir. of Player Development: Todd Marchant
AHL Affiliate: San Jose Barracuda
ECHL Affiliate: Wichita Thunder

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Sam Dickinson (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

1. Michael Misa, C, 18 (San Jose Sharks)

Acquired: Drafted second overall, first round in 2025

Misa is an outstanding skater who’ll beat you both in short bursts and with his pure straight-line speed. He’s as good a play-driver as you’ll find from any forward in this class. His hockey sense is truly elite, too. Heck, he’s even got some muscle in his 6-foot-1 frame. Misa isn’t a bruiser by any means, but he’s more than willing to get physical. Misa uses all his traits to exploit defenders and generate scoring chances. His shot is deceptive, rarely needing much of a wind-up to get it where he wants it. I think he’ll start the year in the NHL, likely in the top six – and I doubt he’ll go back to Saginaw.

2. Sam Dickinson, LHD, 19 (San Jose Sharks)

Acquired: Drafted 11th overall, first round in 2024

It feels like a good chance that Dickinson starts the year in the NHL. The 19-year-old is coming off a monster year in London in which he won both the OHL and CHL’s top defenseman awards. He also led the Knights to a Memorial Cup in a year that saw him put up 91 points in the regular season and 31 in the playoffs. The big, high-flying defender is so difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations, and the numbers show he can dominate shifts offensively. It’s either the NHL or OHL for Dickinson this year – but Canada’s World Junior team is hoping it’s the latter.

3. Yaroslav Askarov, G, 23 (San Jose Sharks)

Acquired: Traded by the Nashville Predators in 2024

*Yaroslav Askarov (Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images)*

I nearly elected to keep Askarov off this list, given he was San Jose’s top NHL goaltender far too often last year. But with just 16 NHL games over his career (13 coming in San Jose), it’s a small enough sample size to keep him here. There’s nothing for the 6-foot-3 goaltender to accomplish in the AHL anymore. The multi-time all-star was a shining star for the Barracuda, and looked like a true No. 1 at points in San Jose. It might take a few years for us to see just how good Askarov is as the Sharks continue to rebuild. But with ideal size and incredible athleticism, it’s safe to call Askarov the best goaltending prospect in the game today.

4. Joshua Ravensbergen, G, 18 (Prince George Cougars, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 30th overall, first round in 2025

Given the Sharks already had Askarov, it was a bit surprising to see them take Ravensbergen. But in this day and age, there’s no such thing as having too many high-end goaltenders. At 6-foot-5, Ravensbergen has incredible size, great athleticism, and a calm demeanour. Put them together, and he’s an intriguing prospect. His numbers aren’t fantastic by any means, but he snagged wins consistently on a team that would be in a lot more trouble if he didn’t have their back. At the very least, Ravensbergen could become one of the biggest trade assets in the NHL once he turns pro and – hopefully – continues his upward trajectory.

5. Quentin Musty, LW, 20 (San Jose Barracuda)

Acquired: Drafted 28th overall, first round in 2023

Musty had an eventful season, which started with a trade request out of Sudbury that was never granted. He still managed to put up wicked numbers, including 30 goals and 59 points. An injury prevented Musty from playing with the USA at the World Juniors, although reports indicated he wasn’t getting invited, anyway. So, yeah, not a typical year for a top prospect. But Musty made the most of the opportunities and then proceeded to close out the year with the Barracuda. I expect him to take a run at making the Sharks out of camp this year, but it feels like more time in the AHL is exactly what he needs after missing half of 2024-25.

6. Luca Cagnoni, LHD, 20 (San Jose Barracuda, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 123rd overall, fourth round in 2023

Luca Cagnoni (Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images)

I’ve been a big believer in Cagnoni since he was drafted and I’m glad he had such a successful first year of pro hockey. The 20-year-old is still 5-foot-9, but it didn’t stop him from registering 16 goals and 52 points with the Barracuda. He was also impressive in his six-game run with the Sharks, registering a pair of assists while getting more comfortable at both ends of the ice. He plays a smart, calculated game that doesn’t try to force plays to generate something. Cagnoni is evasive with the puck, using his quick footwork to get himself out of trouble. He’s still small, but it hasn’t slowed him down yet.

7. Igor Chernyshov, LW, 19 (San Jose Baraccuda, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 33rd overall, second round in 2024

Leaving everything you know from back home to pursue a career halfway across the world is easier said than done. But, for Chernyshov, it truly looked easy. He paired up with Misa and managed to record 19 goals and 55 points in just 23 games with the Saginaw Spirit. Not too shabby after some minuscule numbers in the KHL the year before. Chernyshov is a 6-foot-3 power forward who works his tail off to win battles, and I think he’s versatile enough to play anywhere in San Jose’s lineup. I can’t wait to see what he does in a full season in the AHL.

8. Shakir Mukhamadullin, LHD, 23 (San Jose Sharks)

Acquired: Traded by the New Jersey Devils in 2023

Mukhamadullin could be what prevents Dickinson from becoming an NHLer this year, and that’s perfectly fine. The Russian blueliner played some great hockey down the stretch, playing as high as 25 minutes a night. He missed the start of the campaign due to injury, but got better as the season wore on. The former Salavat Yuleav Ufa blueliner is a big, 6-foot-4 presence who’s ready to show why he was a first-round pick in 2020. He has good reach, can move well and his decision-making with the puck has improved over time. His time is now.

9. Filip Bystedt, C, 21 (San Jose Barracuda, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 27th overall, first round in 2022

*Filip Bystedt (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Bystedt made the move to California last year, and he put up a decent 12 goals and 31 points in 50 games. The Swedish center has a ton of muscle and he loves to put all of it behind his shot. He’s a good skater, plays a reliable two-way game and is equally good as a shooter and a passer. I can see him becoming more of a bottom-six forward for the Sharks, but you could also put him in a shooting location on the power play and feel confident in him. Next up, 40-plus points in the AHL for the 21-year-old.

10. Haoxi (Simon) Wang, LHD, 18 (Oshawa Generals, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 33rd overall, second round in 2025

Wang is underrated, in my opinion. The Boston University commit had some so-so showings in the OHL, but he got better as the season wore on in Oshawa. He only started to play at a high level competitively a few years ago, and he’s learning how to use his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage. The Beijing, China native can skate well and has good offensive instincts. Moving forward, reading plays on the rush will be something he needs to work on, but the raw talent is there. The Sharks took a gamble selecting Wang when they did, but I think it’s going to work out.

The rest: Collin Graf, RW (22), Cam Lund, RW (21), Kasper Halttunen, RW (20), Ethan Cardwell, RW (20), Oskar Olausson, RW (22), Cole McKinney, C (18), Teddy Mutryn, C (18), Max Heise, C (19), Richard Gallant, LW (18), Carson Wetsch, RW (19), David Klee, C (20), Yegor Rimashevskiy, RW (20), Brandon Svoboda, C (20), Reese Laubach, C (21), Joey Muldowney, RW (21), Evgenii Kashnikov, LHD (22), Michael Fisher, RHD (21), Eli Barnett, RHD (21), Eric Pohlkamp, RHD (21), Axel Landen, RHD (20), Ilyas Magomedsultanov, LHD (18), Zack Sharp, LHD (20), Colton Roberts, RHD (19), Nate Misskey, RHD (20), Leo Sahlin Wallenius, LHD (19), Mattias Havelid, RHD (21), Artem Guryev, LHD (22), Jake Furlong, LHD (21), Gannon Laroque, RHD (21), Gabriel Carriere, G (24), Christian Kirsch, G (19), Yaroslav Korostelyov, G (19)

SPONSORED BY bet365