One of the players to make a jump up our list this season is defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, who has been steady on the backend at every level he’s played at so far and seems to be solidifying himself as a potential defenseman on a future Sharks team. Pohlkamp, with an impressive slapshot from the point, made a statement at the rookie showcase game at Tech CU Arena over the summer. He netted himself a hat trick and stood out among all the other players on the ice.
He’s truly developed his play in his past few seasons of NCAA hockey, going from a relative unknown that went undrafted in his first year of eligibility to a fifth-round draftee in 2023. While Pohlkamp played his first season of post-draft hockey at Bemidji State, his play was so impressive that University of Denver Head Coach David Carle brought the defenseman onto Team USA for the World Junior Championship that winter and then picked him up out of the transfer portal that spring.
Last season, Pohlkamp spent a good deal of time partnered with 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium at the University of Denver and the pair created a formidable top unit for the Pioneers.
What Sharks fans will be happy to note is that Buium did not carry Pohlkamp as some might believe. In the Frozen Four, the duo was split up, and Pohlkamp was capable of holding his own. In fact, the Athletic Staff wrote the following after watching the Frozen Four:
“Pohlkamp was used as Denver’s No. 2 D during this stretch run, even though he technically played on a separate pair from Buium, and played almost 40 minutes himself in the semi. I thought he was excellent. He’s always decisive with his shot but I thought he was decisive in other ways. He was physical and on time defensively. He forechecked when in a couple of sequences for his team. He attacked. He side-stepped pressure and skated pucks.”
Position: Defenseman
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 21
Date of Birth: March 23, 2004
Draft Year: 2023 (132nd overall by San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Right
2025-26 Team: University of Denver
What we like
While Pohlkamp’s size won’t jump out at you, given that he’s under the six-foot frame that general managers tend to like, he plays like a big defenseman. He’s a heavy hitter and he has a heavy shot from the point. He’s never shied away from contact, and he will step up in the play.
What’s more, Pohlkamp has always struck me as a level-headed player. This is a kid who wasn’t even in Vegas on the day he was drafted and found out that he was a part of the Sharks’ system as he was coming out of the gym. He’s a guy who puts his head down and goes to work and scrapes for every inch he’s given. He never takes anything for granted. While I can’t say for certain, it feels very much like he has the work ethic of a Joe Pavelski or a Dan Boyle, constantly working and striving to reach the next level, wanting more and striving for better.
Getting drafted wasn’t enough for Pohlkamp; he wanted to play for a better NCAA team than Bemidji State. Getting to a top-tier team like the University of Denver wasn’t enough for the defenseman; he wanted to win a national championship. Making it to the Frozen Four wasn’t enough for Pohlkamp; he was hungry for more and willing to return to college to do it. Pohlkamp is a competitor, and if he keeps it up, Sharks fans are going to like what they see on the ice next fall.
What’s next for Pohlkamp?
Pohlkamp will return to the University of Denver this fall, where he will be asked to be THE GUY for the Pioneers. Until now, Pohlkamp has played alongside or as a second defenseman to Buium, but with Buium off to Minnesota, Pohlkamp will be tasked with taking on the number one role.
For Pohlkamp, the goal is a national championship. Denver came close last season, making it all the way to the Frozen Four, but lost to the eventual champs, Western Michigan. During the summer rookie camp, Pohlkamp talked about how hard it was to come close and miss out, especially when the team had won just the season before.
Pohlkamp has national championship FOMO: “I really want to win national championship, right? You’re in the locker with those guys when they won in 2024 and you see the tattoo on their leg, you see the tattoo on their rib. And honestly, I get really jealous of that. Matt Davis,…
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) July 3, 2025
“I really want to win national championship, right? You’re in the locker with those guys when they won in 2024 and you see the tattoo on their leg, you see the tattoo on their rib. And honestly, I get really jealous of that. Matt Davis, he’s got two of them? He’s got two national championships on his leg, so you see that every day in the shower or whatever. Seriously seems like every guy’s a national champion except me,” Pohlkamp told the media.
Whether the University of Denver wins it all this season or not, it seems pretty clear that Pohlkamp is ready to turn pro after this season. It will be his junior season of hockey in the NCAA and it feels very much like he’s done all he can to develop his game at the NCAA level. Once his NCAA season is over, look for Pohlkamp to join the Barracuda on what is hopefully another AHL playoffs run.
Highlights
The thing that makes Pohlkamp special is his shot from the point. He can shoot it quickly or he can shoot it hard. In this clip, you can see that he gets the shot off quickly, coming in as the trailing defenseman and then taking advantage of all of the traffic in front of the net.
PIOS ON THE BOARD FIRST! Eric Pohlkamp with the snipe 🏒#NCAAHockey x 🎥 ESPNews / @DU_Hockey pic.twitter.com/AWeGs28kgD
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 30, 2025
That said, it’s shots like this from the point with power behind them that will make Pohlkamp a potential NHL-level defender with offensive upside.
Eric Pohlkamp's blast from the 1st period is tonight's @Safeway Goal of the Game!#GoPios pic.twitter.com/L5wy4M13Mf
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) October 26, 2024
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