The top 25 under 25 Sharks survey is back for another season, and it’s another good season to be an optimistic San Jose Sharks fan. Once again, the prospect pool is loaded with riches, and the under-25 crowd is chockful of talent. Before we jump into the new additions, let’s take a look at what last season’s list looked like.
1. Macklin Celebrini
2. Will Smith
3. Michael Misa
4. William Eklund
5. Yaroslav Askarov
6. Sam Dickinson
7. Shakir Mukhamadullin
8. Igor Chernyshov
9. Quentin Musty
10. Luca Cagnoni
11. Collin Graf
12. Filip Bystedt
13. Joshua Ravensbergen
14. Kasper Halttunen
15. Eric Pohlkamp
16. Cam Lund
17. Ethan Cardwell
18. Haoxi Wang
19. Leo Sahlin Wallenius
20. Jack Thompson
21. Cole McKinney
22. Zack Ostapchuk
23. Mattias Havelid
24. Egor Afanasyev
25. Carson Wetsch
Honorable Mentions: Joey Muldowney, Jake Furlong, Brandon Svoboda, Nate Misskey, Gabriel Carriere
Nine players on the list are no longer in the Sharks’ system, including some from the top ten.
Last year’s number four, William Eklund, is the biggest loss after the trade this spring that sent Eklund, number 14 Kasper Halttunen and honorable mention Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators in return for the 9th overall pick. That pick ultimately brought in defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, who will most certainly be on this season’s list.
Also falling off the list is number seven, Shakir Mukhamadullin, who was the key piece in the trade with the Edmonton Oilers for Darnell Nurse. Prospect Zachary Sharp was also included in that trade. While losing a top ten player hurts a bit, the truth is, Mukhamadullin most likely would have fallen out of the top ten this year.
Last season’s number 20, Jack Thompson, is also gone. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Jett Woo. Woo is no longer with the Sharks either. As for number 24, Egor Afanasyev, he never received another contract with the Sharks. He’s aged out anyway, so he won’t be returning to the list.
In the honorable mentions, Jake Furlong was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in January for Laurent Brossoit and defenseman Nolan Allan, who can now be added to our poll. In the meantime, goaltender Gabriel Carriere and Joey Muldowney never received contracts in the spring. In Muldowney’s case, it looks like the Sharks lose the rights to him.
Other players no longer in the poll include Michael Fisher, Eli Barnett, Reese Laubach, Artem Guryev, Gannon Laroque, Oskar Olausson and Matt Davis. The Sharks had until June 1, 2026 to sign Fisher, Barnett and Laubach to contracts to retain their rights, but did not sign any of the players. Davis never received a new contract. Guryev was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in October of last year in a deal that brought the Ryan Ellis contract to the Sharks.
Laroque battled injuries for many years, but didn’t officially retire until earlier this month.
As for Olausson, he was traded to the Sharks from the Colorado Avalanche for Danil Gushchin in July 2025 and made it just in time to make last year’s poll. Then, after the poll, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild for Kyle Masters, who played no games for the Sharks and none for the Barracuda either. Masters isn’t with the Sharks anymore.
Players added since the last Fear the Fin poll
That said, the Sharks have also added prospects since the last time we ran this poll, including three players who could find their way into the top ten. With the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Sharks selected forward Ivar Stenberg and then followed it up with defenseman Verhoeff at ninth overall. Some say the big steal came at 21st, when the Sharks snagged another right-shot defenseman in Ryan Lin.
On day 2 of the draft, the Sharks added a few more players, though these are more fringe players and we’ll have to see how they turn out. Goaltender Brady Knowling, forward Jake Gustafson and defenseman Alexander Karmanov rounded out the Sharks’ draft.
The Sharks also brought in Phillip Sinn from Germany after the 2026 World Championship, signing the young defenseman to a two-year entry-level contract. Then in June, the team traded with the Boston Bruins, handing over a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2026 fifth-round pick for Andre Gasseau and a 2026 fourth-round pick. Gasseau is a California native who just finished his senior season at Boston College.
So, here’s the new poll with the additions and subtractions. We’ll leave it open until Aug. 15. Thanks!
