This Year's Must-Watch San Jose Sharks Prospect

With the San Jose Sharks sporting the best prospect pool in the NHL, littered with high-end names

Over the past few seasons, players like Will Smith, Quentin Musty, and Sam Dickinson were absolute must-watchs for Sharks fans.

1) The Sharks have been terrible, and getting to watch fun hockey is a small treat.

2) These players are considered to be huge pieces of the future, and seeing how they grow and develop and where they will fit into the Sharks is essential.

So who will be this year’s “Must-Watch” Prospect? When looking at potential players, a few things to keep in mind:

The player will need a significant role on the team.
The player should be good (duh).
The team should also be good.
Accessibility matters! Sorry, SHL/KHL/Liiga, it's hard to watch your games.

For this exercise, we will exclude anyone on the San Jose Barracuda because they are right in our backyard. This also assumes that Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson will both be in the NHL. If either are back in the OHL (or elsewhere) they jump to the top of the rankings.

Eric Pohlkamp
5'11" 205 lb Defenseman
Shoots: Right
2023 5th round pick
University of Denver - NCAA

When coming up with this exercise, Pohlkamp immediately jumped out. He meets a lot of the criteria when looking for the must-watch prospect. While Pohlkamp doesn't have the draft pedigree that other prospects do, he has quickly risen in the Sharks' prospect rankings.

Is Pohlkamp good? Yes.

Will Pohlkamp have a big role? Yes.

Is the University of Denver good? Yes, they finished 3rd in the rankings last season and should be a contender to hoist the national championship title this year.

Is watching Pohlkamp easy? Watching most of Denver's will require another streaming service (NCHC), it's pretty easy to sign up for, and the games will be on in the evening Pacific Time.

Additionally, Pohlkamp will make an impact in San Jose as soon as this spring. He is expected to sign his ELC when his season in Denver is over.

Carson Wetsch
6'1" 198 lbs Winger
Shoots: Right
2024 3rd round pick
Kelowna - WHL

Carson Wetsch might be a very sneaky pick here for a few reasons. He put up a solid 33 goals and 52 points in 68 games playing with the Calgary Hitmen last season. This offseason, he was traded to Kelowna, which is hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup. Wetsch will be playing in many high-stakes games, and Kelowna has an automatic bid to the Memorial Cup. Paired with the 6th overall pick, Tij Iginla, Wetsch has an opportunity to explode this season.

Is Wetsch good? He's in the running to make Team Canada at the World Juniors, which is pretty good.

Will Wetsch have a big role? Yes.

Is Kelowna going to be good? They should be. When teams get selected to host the Memorial Cup, they try to bolster their roster to increase their chances of winning. Kelwona added several pieces this offseason in an effort to compete.

Is watching Wetsch easy? With Victory+, you can stream all the WHL games for free.

Wetsch is another player to keep an eye on for where he plays next season. Currently, his rights are set to expire next offseason. Wetsch could be a candidate to play in the NCAA or sign his ELC and join the Barracuda next year.

Joshua Ravensbergen
6'5" 192 lbs Goalie
Catches: Right
2025 1st round pick
Prince George - WHL

Goalies are a little harder to watch because they rely so much on what is happening in front of them. A good game for Prince George will see Ravensbergen having a very quiet night, and a bad game from PG will have Ravensbergen working all night long. Ravensbergen has a chance to be a must-watch because of his ability to turn a game. When a team spends a first-round pick on a goalie, the expectations are off the charts. Can Ravensbergen show Sharks fans why they should be extremely excited about him?

Is Ravensbergen good? Yes.

Will Ravensbergen have a big role? Yes, he played in 51 of 68 games last season, expect a similar workload.

Will Prince George be good? That's to be determined. They have lost some key pieces over the last few seasons, but with Ravensbergen, they should be a playoff team.

Is watching Ravensbergen easy? With Victory+, you can stream all the WHL games for free.

While Ravensbergen won't be making an impact in San Jose any time soon, it should become evident why the Sharks are incredibly high on his development.

Heading into the season, Eric Pohlkamp is the must-watch prospect for Sharks fans. The perfect blend of being good, on an exciting team, and making an impact in San Jose next year makes him a must-watch this year.