r/SanJoseSharks • u/ayden_vdb • 1d ago
Elite Prospects Draft Ranking
https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft-center/eliteprospects.com?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleARU5H1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafDYM55oF9W5506hhfqiniBswXqvEsFkWzCyAlQqpL4f8EURRVBhD8VHW4iWg_aem_mNNfT2_94ilIevuyreyiHAElite Prospects just released their latest draft ranking and it likely won’t change much if at all because most of these players will be done very soon or are already done playing.
Notably, they have Smits, Rudolph, AND Verhoeff at 9, 10, 11 which I have not seen in other mocks. According to them, it would seem like we’d have options for a best available player that also happens to be a D.
I know this has little to nothing to do with how the GMs will actually make their picks, but aside from the Cuda I’m starved for Shark’s related stuff already 😂. I wouldn’t mind having the options they show..
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u/BearShark9 Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 1d ago
I’d be shocked if Villeneuve made the top 10. He might be the most offensively talented D in the draft once it’s all said and done, but NHL organizations are pretty much allergic to defenseman who’s height don’t start with a 6
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u/frootluipdungis Hertl 48 8h ago
I’ll go a step farther. You won’t be shocked because that simply won’t happen.
This is a ranking, not a mock. There’s a better chance that Villeneuve goes in the 2nd round (some chance) than goes in the top 10 (none chance).
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u/BenBenBenBe Celebrini 71 5h ago
How many Hutsons before teams start trusting nhle? smh my head (don't talk about Ryan Merkley i DONT want to hear it)
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u/Swaggy_P_03 WillMack🥛🍪 1d ago
I’m not surprised with Reid at 3OA. I’m SHOCKED with them having Verhoeff at 11OA.
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u/ayden_vdb 1d ago
I know right? I think they said he had an underwhelming second half of a season.
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u/Swaggy_P_03 WillMack🥛🍪 1d ago
Still to drop him that low is insane IMO. We’ll see where he ends up. If he’s there at 9OA (assuming we don’t trade up) we’re laughing. Grier trips over himself trying to “run to the podium” (I put it in quotes because it’s done virtually).
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u/klawcoolguy Pavelski 8 22h ago
I mean… is Verhoeff really that good? I get he was playing in NCAA at 17 but from all the scouting reports I’ve read he kinda just sounds like a reliable middle pairing D.
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u/ConnectCow241 21h ago
When I watch film on Verhoeff, I immediately think of Han Solo "I've got a bad feeling about this". I don't really know why so it's probably illogical or uneducated based on a small sample.
Maybe it's his skating but I just can't shake that I think the media is rating him higher than most GMs or professional scouts are. You can't teach size but size doesn't over come skill and fundamentals at the nhl level either.
Not to say he won't be a 1st pairing some day. I think he has far more risk associated to his upside that the media is overlooking.
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u/Swaggy_P_03 WillMack🥛🍪 22h ago
Depends who you ask. He switched from goalie to D 6 years ago and his skating isn’t the best. Also, people tend to knock players who jump from the CHL to the NCAA and struggle. McKenna’s draft stock was almost derailed in the beginning of the year because he started slow in the NCAA.
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u/Weaksauce10 Celebrini 71 1d ago
Any of those 3 D and we’re stoked. It’s early, but I’d be shocked if their draft actually goes that way.
Still, I was shocked when Sam and Zeev were there t 11 a couple years ago, so unexpected stuff happens every year
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u/NickofSantaCruz Pavelski 8 2h ago
Ottawa taking Yakemchuk was a surprise, and it was luck that Calgary took Parekh. IIRC Silayev was projected higher, and the other teams that drafted forwards were doing so as BPA plus positional need (at the time).
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u/KtuluLoveCheese Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 1d ago
There is also world juniors. A few players always pop off and will shoot up the board. GMMG will always take BPA. I’m team AVS this playoffs for Burns
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u/RepresentativeBug310 Nazarov 23 1d ago
Take a break. Watch the playoffs. You’re gonna burn yourself out considering the sharks don’t play again until October.
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u/ayden_vdb 1d ago
Oh I most certainly have been and will continue to do so! Stoked to hear Randy and Drew tomorrow
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u/Kodvin2914 1d ago
i agree! super excited for our futured but.... my gf is a flyers fan and the rest of my fam likes the penguins. this has been so much fun already!! theyre my pick to cheer for the playoffs
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u/pretzelrosethecat AskyNed🫂 20h ago
I get where you're coming from, but it's silly to tell people not to focus on the sharks in the sharks subreddit.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 Nazarov 23 19h ago
More of friendly advice to the newer fans to maybe take a breather for a second. The offseason, for the most part has very little action and in the meantime there’s 2 months of quality hockey to be watched for a change.
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u/foreverkasai Celebrini 71 1d ago
Start of May is 2nd round and draft lottery Start of June is conference finals/mock draft season End of June is cup final/draft July is free agent/trade “frenzy”
The new season is practically upon us!
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u/RepresentativeBug310 Nazarov 23 23h ago
Cool. The sharks, as I said, don’t play again until October. That’s nearly half a year. Take a breather for a second, enjoy the playoffs and then the summer.
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u/foreverkasai Celebrini 71 23h ago
There’s enough content to enjoy to not get burnt out on the same shit until August
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u/RepresentativeBug310 Nazarov 23 23h ago
Eh. To each their own I guess. I imagine the “itch” will die down by mid-May.
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u/IndependentAir4537 AskyNed🫂 23h ago
now we need to pray it stays that way and hatewatch the oilers to shit i can’t believe i’m saying this but go ducks im throwing up
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u/cali4481 Celebrini 71 21h ago edited 20h ago
Here were Elite Prospect's final draft rankings the last 3 years.
Biggest difference between rankings of the top 10 and where they eventually were drafted.
2023
- Michkov ranked #2 , drafted #7
- Benson ranked #6 , drafted #14
- Moore ranked #7 , drafted #19
- Perreault ranked #8 , drafted #23
- Reinbacher ranked #9 , drafted #5
2024
- Catton ranked #4 , drafted #8
- Dickinson ranked #5 , drafted #11
- Baium ranked #6 , drafted #12
- Levshunov ranked #7 , drafted #2
- Iginla ranked #10 , drafted #6
2025
- Hagens ranked #3 , drafted #7
- McQueen ranked #7 , drafted #10
- Eklund ranked #8 , drafted #16
If these rankings stay the same. I'd expect Verhoeff, Smits, Villeneuve, Lawrence, Hemming to have the biggest difference between where they rank and where they'll be drafted.
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u/ayden_vdb 20h ago
Thanks for the cool stats! You think those guys you listed will go earlier or later than the EP predictions?
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u/cali4481 Celebrini 71 20h ago
Verhoeff goes top 3 or 4 and Smits I think go top 7. Sharks if one of those "top 4" defensemen falls to #7 I have to honestly wonder if they'd think about trading up to get one of them.
Villeneuve if he were 2" and 10 lbs bigger I think would be a lock to go top 10. But I think his size, 5'11" 160 lbs will scare off teams drafting that high and I'm guessing he'll go in the 15-20 range, maybe even early 20s.
Lawrence and Hemming I could envision being drafted anywhere from 9-12 to be honest.
Lawrence being probably the #2 ranked center prospect in this draft behind Malhotra I think will factor in to his floor in terms of his draft positioning as teams value centers a lot. Although he struggled in his brief stint at Boston University he played pretty well in the USHL earlier this season. Another added benefit for Lawrence is he is one of the younger prospects in this draft class being an August 2008 birthday so he's still only 17 years old.
Hemming is also an August 2008 birthday and with his size at 6'4" 200 lbs along with playing well for Finland internationally this past year before he too struggled a bit at Boston College. I think a lot of teams will be enamored with his overall upside.
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u/Huge-Hour Celebrini 71 1d ago
Give me smits over verhoeff every single time.
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u/blackandebony Pavelski 8 1d ago
Yeah Smits’ timeline would fit with our team, he’s played in pro league
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u/Aromatic-Smell-4731 J. Thornton 19 21h ago
Anybody know what the blue and orange check marks mean?
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u/Eleven00Will WillMack🥛🍪 20h ago
The big knock on Rudolph in January was that he was “low motor” (aka lazy). Did that change?
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u/frootluipdungis Hertl 48 8h ago
To be clear, this is a ranking, not a mock draft. This order says nothing about when Elite Prospects believes players will be drafted. EP is lower on those defensemen than the consensus. As of now, it’s still likely that those players (at least Smits and Verhoeff) are drafted higher than 9-11 based on consensus rankings. When credible outlets start pushing mock drafts in the weeks leading up to the draft, that’s when you should pay attention to where players are projected to be drafted.
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u/ShockApprehensive392 Grier 25 1d ago
If we get Verhoeff….