The San Jose Sharks announced on Monday that they have signed fourth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Brandon Coe, to an entry-level contract. Coe currently plays for the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Batallion, where he leads not just the Batallion, but the entire OHL in scoring, with 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 24 games.
Per CapFriendly, Coe’s contract term is three years with an annual cap hit of $950,000 and a minors salary of $80,000. The base NHL salary is $750,000, with a signing bonus of $92,500 in each year and performance bonuses of $82,500 in the first two years and $57,500 in the final year. He will be a restricted free agent in 2024.
“Brandon is a developing power forward with great skating ability,” said Sharks Director of Scouting Doug Wilson Jr. in a press release. “Last year he gained valuable experience playing in the AHL and we’re proud of how he has taken his offense to the next level this season. He’s leading the OHL in scoring and is a key player on a first place North Bay team.”
Coe appeared in 17 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season, despite being under 20 years old at the time, due to the coronavirus pandemic keeping the OHL from being able to host the 2020-21 season. In those 17 regular season games, Coe scored 1 goal and 4 assists, also playing in four playoff games, in which he recorded 2 assists.
The now 20-year-old center stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 190 pounds, hailing from Ajax, Ontario. He was a bright spot for the North Bay Batallion in 2019-20, despite finishing in last place in the OHL, as he scored 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) over 60 games — nearly a point-per-game pace.
Despite his height, scouts love Coe’s skating ability and shot. Brock Otten of OHL Prospects asserts that Coe’s greatest strength is “his skating ability. Coe is an absolutely dynamic and explosive mover. Not just for a big kid, but for any size.” An example of Coe’s skating ability can be seen here:
Something worth noting on RW Brandon Coe, this kid moves really well for a player his size. He’s not one of the fastest players in this draft, but it’s hard to find 6’3” fwds that can really move. Had a great campaign for NB during a really tough season for the team #2020NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/7REM1JrwjZ
— Brandon Holmes (@BHolmes_Hockey) April 7, 2020
Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers also praised Coe’s “ability to finish and an underrated ability to create plays.”
We likely won’t see Coe in a Barracuda jersey until April, when the OHL season ends, but the outlook is good for both Coe and the Sharks, in what is shaping up to be a sneakily good 2020 draft class.
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our