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No. 4 Quentin Musty: Exactly as advertised

Posted on by Erika Towne

San Jose Sharks fans have had a chance to witness Quentin Musty firsthand in the past few months since the team drafted him and it looks like he came as advertised. Musty was touted by draft analysts as a hard-nosed forward with skill. He was just as likely to power his way through an opponent as he was to distribute the puck around a defender via his passing skills or use his hands to finesse his way through a sticky situation.

Position: Left Wing
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 lbs.
Age: 18
Date of Birth: July 5, 2005
Draft Year: 2023, 26th overall by the San Jose Sharks
Shoots: Left
2023-24 Team: Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

We ran through Musty’s resume when we got to know the draft prospect earlier this summer. He played for the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season and put up impressive numbers. 78 points (26 G, 52 A) in 53 games. There was a single game against the Niagara Ice Dogs in December that he scored seven points.

So, let’s spend a few moments talking about what Musty has done since he was drafted 26th overall.

Musty joined the Sharks for the prospects’ scrimmage in early July. He was an impactful player, playing against prospects one to two years older than him. He scored the first goal of the game for Team White during the scrimmage.

He then tacked on another goal later in the game when he was awarded a penalty shot.

Since it was a scrimmage, the Sharks added on a shootout to end things. Musty made his shootout goal look easy, using his quick shot to put it past Team Teal’s goaltender.

Musty’s busy summer continued as he headed to Plymouth, Mich. for the World Junior Summer Showcase. As a member of Team USA Blue, Musty had 2 points (1 G, 1 A) on a team that included fellow Sharks’ prospect Will Smith. Musty’s his single goal was an important one.

Musty scored the game winning goal against Team Sweden, putting it into the net with less than two seconds to play.

Despite his play this summer, fans should remember that Musty is only 18. While his timeline might be sped up because of his skill, it will still be at least a few years before we see Musty take the ice at SAP Center. A lot can happen between now and then.

This season, the forward will return to the Sudbury Wolves where he had such success in 2022-23. As a 1.47-point-per-game player last season, it will be fun to see if Musty can build on that and potentially have an even more offensively dynamic season.

What we like

Musty has the skill set that you would expect from a first round pick. He has great hands and a strong hockey IQ that helps him read situations. He knows when to distribute the puck and when to take the shot.

However, it’s the thing you can’t really teach that we love most about Musty. He wants the puck and he’ll do what it takes to get it. Musty will drive hard into opposing players and isn’t afraid to enter a scrum if it means he can come out with the puck.

When it comes to going to those hard areas, Musty does not think twice. As witnessed in that goal he scored for Team USA Blue at the World Junior Summer Showcase, even falling down, Musty wants that goal.

Areas of improvement

For Musty, it’s going to be whether or not he can take things to another level and that may not happen until the end of this season when he is possibly pulled up to the Barracuda.

Aside from play on the national team, Musty has almost always been among the most skilled players on the ice. He’ll likely be that again when he returns to the Sudbury Wolves. The true test will come when he arrives with the Barracuda. That’s when his big body suddenly appears a little more average in size and some of the players are just as skilled as he is.

A good example is Brandon Coe, who after being named the 2022 Sharks Prospect of the Year, struggled to start the 2022-23 season with the Barracuda. Musty’s goal this season should be building that solid foundation against lesser competition this season so that he’s prepared to make the jump to the Barracuda in 2023-24.

Highlights

Here’s a fun compilation of some of Musty’s top plays from last season.

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