San Jose Sharks fans are excited about the number seven player on our list, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and they should be. The large defenseman has NHL skills, long reach and the potential to be an impactful player for the Sharks in the future. But if you’re excited about what Mukhamadullin can bring to the future of the Sharks, then you should be doubly so about the number six player on our list, Sam Dickinson.
Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 199 lbs.
Age: 18
Date of Birth: June 7, 2006
Draft Year: 2024 (11th overall by the San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Left
2023-24 Team: London Knights (OHL)
The 11th overall draft pick in this year’s draft, it was a surprise that Dickinson dropped down to a spot where the Sharks could pick him. A lot of charts projected Dickinson to go in the top ten. But fall he did and when General Manager Mike Grier had the opportunity to snatch Dickinson up at 11, he did not hesitate.
Dickinson is entering his third season with the London Knights in the OHL and it’s expected that he will build upon the success he had in his second year. Last season, Dickinson had 70 points in 68 games, including 18 assists. He was the highest-scoring defenseman on the Knights, ahead of the 22nd overall pick in 2023, Oliver Bonk. Dickinson was also a plus-56 for a team that dominated the OHL last season.
In the playoffs, he was also productive, scoring 13 points in 18 games.
What we like
For the most part, Dickinson has NHL-level skills. He can handle the puck, has a high-end shot and he competes hard. However, what makes Dickinson extra special is his skating ability. The Elite Prospects Draft Guide was more than complimentary of the 18-year-old’s ability to move.
“Dickinson can mirror footwork in close, take away space, and step into opponents to get stops. His defensive range can almost make it impossible to get past him,” read the guide. “With the puck, he’s decisive and explosive, drawing in forechecking pressure only to leave it in his dust as he carries the puck from zone to zone unimpeded.”
Nick Smith of NHL Central Scouting was high on Dickinson before the draft, calling him the “safest pick.”
“I think he’s almost the safest pick in the draft because he’s just that two-way all-day type of defenseman,” said Smith.
“He might not have the offensive upside like [Zayne] Parekh … but he’s a big, lanky body that can be a top-four D-man on any team all day,” Smith continued. “He’s safe, plus he might be one of the best skaters in the draft … People don’t realize for a 6-3 kid how smooth he is and how quick his feet are and he’s just ready. He gets it.”
Areas of improvement
That said, there’s a reason that Dickinson didn’t jump directly to the Sharks this season, despite a look during this year’s training camp.
While he has the innate skill to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL, mentally, he’s not quite there yet. It’s something that The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler highlighted in his NHL prospect rankings while still pointing out that the forward has made strides, especially given his age.
“He still needs to read the ice and move it quicker at times and there are moments in games when he doesn’t process it fast enough coming out of his own zone and can turn over puck, but he also showed comfort and even deception past opposing forwards as the year progressed, and shows nice feel for the game offensively when there are plays to be made,” wrote Wheeler. “He’s not the most dynamic player with the puck, and some have concerns about his IQ but he has all of the physical tools you look for, he can really shoot it (which I know he has worked on), he comfortably handles and skates it, he has a high floor, and he could have a very high ceiling (at both ends) with continued development along the path he’s on.”
What’s next for Dickinson?
Dickinson might be skilled enough, but he’s not processing the game fast enough yet to play pro. It’s something that fans noticed during the preseason when the game moved a lot faster than Dickinson seemed ready for.
If things were different and there weren’t rules about CHL players playing in the AHL at 18, then Dickinson might be best suited to play for the Barracuda this season, where things move at a faster pace. However, the rules are there, and he’s going to have to spend at least another season with the London Knights working on his game.
Dickinson will likely dominate play in the OHL again this season, and he’ll have plenty of NHL draftees to feed to make that happen.
Highlights
Let’s start things off with Dickinson’s shot. In the following clip, you can see the way Dickinson picks a spot before firing it past the goaltender for the Moose Jaw Warriors.
📝 DRAFT SAM DICKINSON 📝
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) May 28, 2024
📝 DRAFT SAM DICKINSON 📝
📝 DRAFT SAM DICKINSON 📝 pic.twitter.com/XyfWQ0AmsC
And then there’s this goal in the final game of the Memorial Cup. Dickinson takes the puck in transition and fires a bullet past the Saginaw goaltender to tie the game.
SAM DICKINSON WE GOT A TIE GAME!!!#NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/9e1TzS9olV
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) June 3, 2024
Finally, let’s talk about the attitude that Dickinson brings to the rink day in and day out. He’s not only confident — pre-draft he told the London Free Press he had “full belief and faith in himself” that he was the “best defenseman” in the draft — but he also has a great sense of humor.
sam “yeah so basically the reason the london knights win hockey games is not because we’re good at hockey, not because of other things, its because i smile before the game and it gets posted on instagram” dickinson pic.twitter.com/w1E0YAQucy
— laur (@43habs) September 29, 2024
Top 25 Under 25 so far
7. Shakir Mukhamadullin
8. Filip Bystedt
9. Thomas Bordeleau
10. Henry Thrun
11. Kasper Halttunen
12. Igor Chernyshov
13. Luca Cagnoni
14. Danil Gushchin
15. Leo Sahlin Wallenius
16. Collin Graf
17. Jack Thompson
18. Ethan Cardwell
19. Cameron Lund
20. Eric Pohlkamp
21. Ty Dellandrea
22. Mattias Havelid
23. Jake Furlong
24. Georgi Romanov
25. Tristen Robins
Honorable Mention: Brandon Svoboda, Gannon Laroque, Brandon Coe, Carson Wetsch and Valtteri Pulli