Sharks
Sharks · Prospects

The prospect pool

Every Calder-eligible prospect in the system, ranked, after the 2026 draft. Names in colour have a full workup behind them.

The three the claim rests on

Pronman's “best pipeline in hockey by a massive margin” is really an argument about these three.

1

Ivar StenbergWheeler ~2

LW · 2026, No. 2 · NHL, top six

45-60 points and a real Calder candidate. The only prospect who plays in the NHL all year.

2

Keaton VerhoeffWheeler ~15

RHD · 2026, No. 9 · NCAA, North Dakota

Top-pair ceiling, skating the swing. Matched a young Cale Makar's freshman line two years younger.

3

Ryan LinWheeler ~25

RHD · 2026, No. 21 · NCAA, Denver

The draft's smartest defenseman. A 5-11 D who played 26 minutes a night.

Knocking on the door

AHL and bubble players who could take an NHL job this season.

4

Eric PohlkampWheeler HM

RHD · 2023, R5 · AHL / NHL bubble

Sharks Prospect of the Year. Led all NCAA defensemen in scoring; a right-shot Calder dark horse.

5

Quentin MustyWheeler HM

LW · 2023, R1 (26) · AHL, Barracuda

Barracuda co-Rookie of the Year. High-skill scoring winger, likely an NHL look.

6

Luca CagnoniWheeler HM

LHD · 2023, R4 · AHL / NHL bubble

Elite AHL offense, 52 points as a rookie. The other Calder dark horse.

7

Joshua RavensbergenWheeler No. 2 G

G · 2025, R1 (30) · WHL or AHL

The crease of the future behind Askarov. A year-plus away.

8

Filip BystedtWheeler HM

C · 2022, R1 (27) · AHL, Barracuda

Middle-six center, 30-40 AHL points.

The rest of the pool

Drafted, developing, and years from the question being asked.

9

Leo Sahlin WalleniusWheeler HM

LHD · 2024, R2 (53) · SHL, Vaxjo, or AHL

Puck-moving left defenseman developing against men.

10

Cameron Lund

C · 2022, R2 (34) · AHL, Barracuda

Two-way middle-six center in an AHL adjustment year.

11

Carson Wetsch

RW · 2024, R3 (82) · WHL overage or AHL

Off a 72-point WHL season; signed his entry-level deal.

12

Haoxi (Simon) Wang

D · 2025, R2 (33) · OHL, Oshawa

Big, raw, high-ceiling project. Years away.

13

Mattias Havelid

RHD · 2022, R3 (45) · AHL, Barracuda

Smaller puck-moving right defenseman.

14

Cole McKinney

C · 2025, R2 (53) · NCAA

Two-way center on the college track.

15

Teddy Mutryn

C · 2025, R3 (95) · NCAA

Power center on the college track.

16

Brady Knowling

G · 2026, R4 (127) · USHL / NCAA

A 6-foot-5 goalie who made USA's World Juniors. Legitimate No. 1 upside on his best nights.

17

Christian Kirsch

G · 2024, R4 (116) · College or Europe

Depth goalie behind Ravensbergen and Knowling.

18

Ethan Cardwell

RW/C · 2021, R4 (121) · AHL, Barracuda

Depth scorer. Calder eligibility genuinely uncertain: 13 NHL games across two seasons.

19

Ilyas Magomedsultanov

D · 2025, R4 (115) · Russia, MHL/KHL

Raw Russian defense project.

20

Jake Gustafson

F · 2026, R6 (174) · WHL, Portland

Big 6-foot-4 winger with good hands and limited pure offense.

Ranked Jul 4, 2026. Eligibility is Calder eligibility, so anyone who has burned his rookie season is off the list. Wheeler tags are Scott Wheeler's summer 2026 rankings for The Athletic: the top 100 drafted prospects (July 14) and the top 20 drafted goalies (July 15). The tilde is his, in effect, because he publishes tiers rather than numbered slots and the ranks are read off his ordering. HM is a Tier 6 “final cut,” just outside the 100. Five Sharks land there and six more sit inside the list, including Misa, Dickinson and Chernyshov, who are past prospect eligibility here.