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No. 16 Collin Graf: Challenging for a roster spot

Yet another addition in the past few months who is making it onto Fear the Fin’s Top 25 Under 25 for the first time. Coming in at number 16 for the San Jose Sharks is Collin Graf. An undrafted forward, Graf became one of the more sought-after college free agents because of his performance with Quinnipiac University in the past two seasons.

Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 194 lbs.
Age: 21
Date of Birth: Sept. 21, 2002
Draft Year: Undrafted
Shoots: Right
2024-25 Team: San Jose Sharks

It would be easy to write Graf off because he was undrafted, but as with many undrafted players, there were extenuating circumstances. When Graf was 17, he was small, just 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, according to The Athletic.

“He’s always had the skill and hockey sense, but people didn’t draft him because he was undersized and had already made that book on him that, ‘He’s too small, he’s too small,’” a league source told Michael Russo and Corey Pronman of The Athletic.

Of course, as luck would have it, Graf’s body caught up with his skill and what he’s done in the NCAA over the past two seasons has been impressive. Graf finished his junior season by leading the Bobcats in points points (49) and goals (22).

His work earned him the 2024 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year honors. He was also unanimously selected to the ECAC First Team All-Conference for the second consecutive year.

But perhaps most impressive of Graf’s accolades is that he was a Hobey Baker Top 10 Honoree for the past two seasons. That’s right, Graf’s name appeared alongside more lauded honorees like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Adam Fantilli and Logan Cooley.

What we like

Graf’s 6-foot-1 frame helps him battle for pucks and go to the difficult areas, something Dobber Prospects highlights as one of his top attributes.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski talked about Graf signing with the Sharks in April, saying the 21-year-old is “known for his creative playmaking ability.”

Graf has an offensive skill that often isn’t as pronounced in undrafted college players.

According to Pronman of The Athletic, “He [Graf] has a ton of offensive talent and has the potential to score in the NHL. He is a very skilled puckhandler who skates well and can create on the move like a pro. He sees the ice well, can run a power play with quick decisions and has a good shot.”

Pronman projects Graf to be a middle-six winger and even placed him at 12th in the San Jose Sharks prospect pool over the summer.

Most of all, Graf sees the game well. When General Manager Mike Grier talked about signing the forward, he highlightede Graf’s “on-ice awareness” and his 200-foot game.

Areas of improvement

Of course, where some see a player who battles and goes to the difficult areas of the ice, others say it’s not enough.

Pronman of The Athletic says, “Graf’s game can lack physicality at times and stick too much to the perimeter, which is my only concern about him, but I wouldn’t call him soft or a low-compete type. He is a player a lot of NHL teams were interested in, and he could be a legit middle-six wing in the league.”

Perhaps the issue is assertiveness. Graf is an intelligent player who can handle physical play; however, up until recently, he would have been considered under-sized for his age group. He’s added five inches in height and about 50 pounds of weight. That’s a massive change in body size that Graf may still need to adapt to.

Learning to play to his size may be the key to whether or not he makes it in the NHL this season.

What’s next for Graf?

Several media outlets reported that Graf chose the Sharks because it gave him the opportunity to compete for a spot in the NHL. The forward also liked the look of the future for the team with Smith, Quentin Musty and others in the prospect pool.

“He wanted to go to a team he could see himself playing for long-term, not just five or six games down the stretch. Along with agent Jerry Buckley, he went through every finalist with a fine-tooth comb to review depth charts, prospect pools, draft picks, coaching styles, management and which teams may have a dearth of right-shot forwards.” wrote Russo and Pronman when Graf signed with the Sharks.

Grier tends to be a man of his word, so Graf will get a fair shot out of camp. That said, it’s not going to be an easy go of it. With the likes of Ty Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow, Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm clogging up the bottom six, Graf will have to prove that his two-way game would be the best attribute for the Sharks.

Highlights

The following video has a compilation of highlights from Graf’s season with Quinnipiac. In the fourth clip, you will see the forward’s willingness to go to the front of the net and make the play even though he’s being hounded by a defender.

In a few of the other clips, you will see Graf’s innate ability to make things happen. His ability to read plays makes him dangerous from behind the net, especially with a finisher like Jake Quillan receiving the puck. Pair Graf with a player like Musty or Kasper Halttunen on the third line and it could be magic.

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