The Case For Sascha Boumedienne

With the second pick, the San Jose Sharks will likely take either Michael Misa or Matthew Schaefer. With the pick they received from the Dallas Stars in the Mikael Granlund trade, they should have plenty of options to add a talented player to the prospect pool.

Sascha Boumedienne

Defenseman
6'2" 183 pounds
Birthday: January 2007 (18)
Left-handed

Sascha Boumedienne was one of the youngest players in NCAA hockey last season. With that came struggles you'd expect for a 17-year-old playing college hockey. But as the season wore on, Boumedienne started to find his stride.

Boumedienne's time at Boston University saw him play more of a shutdown defensive role, especially compared to his time in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. While the offensive numbers aren't outstanding, keep in mind his role. Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson dominated a lot of the offensive air from the blueline, as well as Vancouver Canuck's top 15 pick Tom Willander.

As the season wore on, Boumedienne carved out a role as a shutdown defenseman and played over 22 minutes a night as the season came to a close. While Hutson remains at BU, Willander signed his ELC this offseason, which should open a path for a larger role for Boumedienne.

Boumedienne's defensive game and ability to start the transition should make him an NHL defenseman. He will need to continue to fill out his frame and learn to utilize his size, but the tools are there for him. His growth in one season at Boston University should be intriguing for the San Jose Sharks.

Drafting Boumedienne is a bet on his runway for development. Playing big-time college hockey on one of the best programs in the nation will only help his development. With Willander now in Vancouver and a full season in the NCAA under his belt, Boumedienne feels like he has a clear path to make a monster jump this season—one that could benefit the Sharks.