During a summer downturn in hockey, it’s fun and sometimes painful to take a look back. So, for a Flashback Friday, we’re going to do a look at two previous drafts.
Scrolling through old posts, I found one that I wrote in 2019 that took a look back at the 2014 and 2009 NHL drafts. It was a fun time capsule, sort of. It highlighted how good the San Jose Sharks were, but also proved that there wasn’t enough draft capital to fuel the team into the present day. Missed picks and lack of picks are what helped lead us to where we are today.
Still, it’s fun to look back, and if you want to see what I wrote about 2009, you can read the old post here.
In this post, we’ll look at the 2019 and 2014 drafts and where the players are now.
Five years ago (2019)
The Sharks had five picks in 2019 and sadly, only one of them is still under team control. The rest have either been traded away or never received qualifying offers to keep their rights.
Artemi Kniazev (48th overall)
At 48th overall, the Sharks drafted defenseman Artemi Kniazev, a promising young defender who looked like he might be an impactful depth defenseman for the Sharks. He showed offensive promise. However, he, like many of the players his age, may have seen his development stunted by the sudden shutdown during COVID.
The lack of playing time in 2020 through 2022 seemed to impact his development trajectory during key years. While Kniazev was 20th in Fear the Fin’s Top 25 Under 25 prospects pool in 2022, it seemed to be his peak.
Kniazev was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 2023 for Leon Gawanke. Gawanke played for the Barracuda for part of the 2023-24 season but agreed to terminate his contract with the team mid-season and returned to Germany.
Kniazev is currently an unrestricted free agent after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Jets.
Dillon Hamaliuk (55th overall)
Winger Dillon Hamaliuk was one of the smaller pieces included in the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins just before the start of the 2023-24 preseason. Hamaliuk received an honorable mention in our 2020 Top 25 Under 25 but never really cracked the standings otherwise.
He played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL last season, where he played just eight games and had one point.
The Penguins did not extend a qualifying offer to Hamaliuk this offseason. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Yegor Spiridonov (108th overall)
While Yegor Spiridonov was considered a grade-A pick for the Sharks in the fourth round, or at least the best pick available to the team at the time, like most fourth-rounders, he hasn’t developed into an NHL player.
Spirindonov was sent back to Russia, where he has played since then. He has never received a contract from the Sharks and isn’t likely to. Spiridonov has had little luck steadily breaking into the KHL since he was drafted.
Last season, he moved around between the KHL and VHL. He played 35 games total and had just one goal.
Timur Ibragimov (164th overall)
Timur Ibragimov played part of one season with the San Jose Barracuda (2021-22) before he was sent to the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL. By the 2023 season, he was bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL.
Ibragimov was included among several other prospects in the trade deadline deal that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils.
He finished the season with the Utica Comets, and then the Devils decided not to extend the forward a qualifying offer.
Ibragimov signed a one-year deal with the Comets last season and then once again bounced between the AHL and ECHL. He had 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 35 games with the Comets and 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in 14 games with the Adirondack Thunder in the ECHL.
He is currently unsigned.
Santeri Hatakka (184th overall)
Defensive prospect Santeri Hatakka was also included in the Meier trade. Last season, Hatakka bounced between the Utica Comets and the New Jersey Devils. He played 12 games with the Devils, where he registered two assists. With the Utica Comets, Hatakka had 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 48 games.
Hatakka is a restricted free agent. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils in late July and will play for New Jersey again this season.
Ten years ago (2014)
With Kevin Labanc’s departure in free agency this summer, all the pieces of the 2014 draft are now gone.
Nikolay Goldobin (27th overall)
The Sharks took Nikolay Goldobin with the 27th overall pick. Goldobin had brief moments in the Sharks lineup but never really solidified himself as part of the team.
He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for rental player Jannik Hansen in 2017. Goldobin spent a few seasons with the Canucks, at some points finding his way down to the Utica Comets in the AHL. He left North America in the 2020-21 season and began playing in the KHL, where he still plays today.
Julius Bergman (46th overall)
The Sharks moved up to select Julius Bergman at 46th overall. Bergman played four seasons with the Worcester Sharks and San Jose Barracuda before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators with Mikkel Boedker and a 2020 sixth-round pick for Mike Hoffman, Cody Donaghey and a 2020 fifth-round pick. This was Hoffman’s first go-around with the Sharks.
Bergman spent a season with the Senators in the AHL and then returned to Sweden. He currently plays in the SHL.
Noah Rod (53rd overall)
The Sharks used the 53rd overall pick that the team received in the Douglas Murray trade to select Noah Rod.
Rod never made it to the NHL and played just nine games in the AHL. The Sharks eventually terminated his contract, and Rod returned to Switzerland to play hockey, where he still plays to this day.
Alex Schoenborn (72nd overall)
Alex Schenborn played a few seasons with the Barracuda, though he never got much ice time. He spent just as much time in the ECHL.
He retired after the 2019-2020 season.
Alexis Vanier (102nd overall)
The last time we checked in, Alexis Vanier was playing in the ECHL. The following season, he moved to the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH).
Vanier retired following the 2021-22 season.
Rourke Chartier (149th overall)
2019 was Rourke Chartier’s last season with the San Jose Sharks organization. He suffered a concussion in the 2019-2020 season and in 2020, he was allowed to walk away as a free agent.
Since then, it’s been a struggle to stay healthy and make it back to the NHL. Chartier played one season with the Toronto Marlies in 2020-21 and then joined the Belleville Senators the next season.
In 2022, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators and played for the Sens for six games before he suffered another injury in December 2022. Despite the injuries, he received another one-year, two-way contract from the Senators in 2023-24.
He was injured several times in the 2023-24 season, but still managed to play 37 games for the Sens. He had three points in those 37 games.
Chartier is currently an unrestricted free agent and he is expected to play in the KHL next season.
Kevin Labanc (171st overall)
This leads us to Kevin Labanc, the final pick for the Sharks in the 2014 draft. Labanc had an incredibly disappointing end to his tenure with the Sharks, leaving many fans frustrated by the once-promising winger.
Still, for a sixth round pick, he’s had a pretty good NHL career. Labanc has played 478 NHL games and has 225 points (82 G, 143 A) in his eight seasons in teal.
While he remains unsigned this offseason, he could find his way to a team on a league-minimum deal. Either that, or he’s invited for a professional tryout.
