Sharks round out draft with Helewka, Cukste, Balcers, Parsells, Vela, Kupsky

Here’s a quick roundup of the Sharks’ picks from the 4th round and beyond at today’s draft:

• Passed over in each of the past two drafts, 6’1″ Spokane Chiefs left wing Adam Helewka was the Sharks’ selection at 106th overall in the fourth round after a 19-year-old season in which he exploded for 44 goals, fifth-best in the entire WHL. Cody Nickolet of Dub From Above describes Helewka as “a strong two-way forward [whose] skating is strong and powerful, giving him the ability to fight through checks. He doesn’t possess blazing speed but has some agility, making him a tough player to slow down off the rush. he is comfortable carrying the puck and making plays while skating near top speed, is strong on his feet and on his stick, protecting the puck well and owns an absolute cannon of a wrist shot along with a good release.”
• With their first 5th round pick at 130th overall, the Sharks took Latvian defenseman Karlis Cukste, a 6’2″, 203-pound blueliner who scored 7 goals and 15 points in 56 games in Russia’s MHL this past season.
• San Jose went back to Latvia, as well as their frequently drawn-from incredible names well, for forward Rudolfs Balcers at 142nd overall. The 5’11”, 165-pound left wing scored 21 points in 36 games in Norway’s top men’s league this year.
• With pick #160, the Sharks selected massive 6’6″ defenseman Adam Parsells who scored 22 points in 23 games this past season as a senior on his high school team. A University of Wisconsin commit, Over the Boards had this to say about the blueliner earlier in the season: “For a skater his size, Parsells’ footwork and explosiveness are appealing – only more so when you add in that it appears he can really play tough, effective defense and make sound plays with the puck as well. In that regard, the sky could be the limit. If everything goes swimmingly in Parsells’ developmental curve – and this season will be a huge one in that regard – this is a potential top 2-3 rounder in 2015 who could see a steep arc up the rankings not dissimilar to the one fellow Badger recruit Jack Dougherty experienced over the past 18 months.”
• At 190th overall, the Sharks took 6’2″ right-shooting center Marcus Vela who scored 46 points in 50 games in the BCHL this year. He’s described as “An offensively gifted power center that takes the game as it comes to him. Good hockey sense and possesses the positive character traits that indicate versatility in a lineup; scouts look for these intangibles in players. Decent skating ability, but knows what he can and can’t do. Knows how to direct plays and realizes when and how he can step in to make a difference – whether it be through a little bit of rough stuff or with a clutch goal. All-in-all, the type of well-rounded player that can compliment his linemates well, and knows how to make an impact in a game.”
• With their final pick in the draft, the Sharks selected 6’5″ American goalie Jake Kupsky who’s committed to Union College for next season./

Final tally of the Sharks’ nine picks: