Sharks round out draft with Schoenborn, Sadowy, Vanier, Chartier, Labanc

Here’s a quick roundup of the Sharks‘ picks from the 3rd round and beyond at today’s draft:

• With the 72nd overall pick, the first of the Sharks’ pair of 3rd-rounders, the team selected feisty winger Alex Schoenborn of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Schoenborn helped Portland come within a game of advancing to their second straight Memorial Cup appearance this past spring as a member of their all-American third line alongside Dominic Turgeon and Keegan Iverson, both of whom were also drafted today. Schoenborn reportedly brings size, toughness and some fighting skill. He also scored 17 even-strength goals in limited minutes so he’s probably more than just a facepuncher. I would have probably gone with his teammate Chase De Leo, who scored more goals this season than Schoenborn did points, but this isn’t a terrible pick.
• With the 81st overall pick, the Sharks selected winger Dylan Sadowy of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Only seven draft-eligible players in the entire CHL scored more even-strength goals than Sadowy this past season, a list that includes five first-rounders in Goldobin, Sam Bennett, Jake Virtanen, Nikolaj Ehlers and Robby Fabbri in addition to De Leo and Spencer Watson. Sadowy was ranked 33rd among North American players by Central Scouting, so it’s at least a mild surprise that he slipped to the third round. Sadowy “scores most of his goals in tight, tipping in shots, banging in rebounds, and converting passes in front of the net. He battles hard and plays an agitating style.” At the same time, McKeen’s flags Sadowy as “an average skater with a sluggish first step, slight knock-knee, struggles with balance and is prone to falling down” which could explain why he fell to late in the third round. He’ll certainly need to work on his skating to be an impact pro (he wouldn’t be a Sharks prospect if that wasn’t the case) but if that aspect of his game pans out, Sadowy could end up being a steal.
• With the 102nd overall pick, the Sharks selected defenseman Alexis Vanier from Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL. Vanier is a hulking 6’5″, 225-pound blueliner who, as you’d expect from a defenseman with those measurables, has serious skating issues. ESPN’s Corey Pronman noted “his skating is a weakness, as his turns are a little awkward, and while he has a great wingspan, he can still be beat wide,” but still ranked Vanier as the 62nd-best prospect in the draft so he does have some redeeming qualities. Vanier’s 36 points in 61 games is pretty damn good production (it’s a better points-per-game rate than Sharks 2013 first rounder Mirco Mueller managed in his draft year), especially considering Vanier wasn’t logging huge minutes for Baie-Comeau. If you’re going to take a big, slow defenseman, getting one who can at least contribute offensively seems like the way to go.
• With the 149th overall pick, the Sharks selected center Rourke Chartier from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. Chartier had a slow start to his draft season, which led to him falling off some scouts’ radars, but exploded in the second half with 49 points in his final 47 games and re-established himself as a legitimate prospect. Chartier is described as “a skilled forward with a high work ethic. He shows impressive quickness and excellent overall skating ability. He makes opposing players miss and has the hands to carry the puck into the opposition zone. He possesses great vision and is smart with and without the puck.” Based on estimated ice time, only 23 draft-eligible CHLers scored more points per minute than Chartier this season despite his slow start. Pronman named him the 57th-best prospect available in this draft and pegged him as a great two-way forward who “can be a nuisance on the forecheck or getting in lanes on the penalty kill. He understands the defensive game very well and with his good faceoff skills, projects as a potential tough minutes player at the NHL level.” The only major concern about Chartier most scouts seem to have is his size but at 5’11”, Chartier isn’t exactly a waterbug. Apart from Goldobin, Chartier is my favorite of the Sharks’ picks in this draft and I think there’s a decent chance he turns into a useful NHL player.
• With their final pick in the draft, 171st overall, the Sharks picked American winger Kevin Labanc from the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Originally committed to Notre Dame this past season, Labanc opted for the major junior route instead and scored 35 points in 65 games for Barrie. He’s described as a “speedy, shifty winger [who] plays with a high degree of energy and brings a constant work ethic to every shift. Tenacious on the forecheck and in puck pursuit; keeps his feet moving and forces turnovers with dogged pressure. Above-average puck skills and vision; an effective power-play presence who uses his quickness to exploit open space and work the play to the net.”

And here’s the final breakdown of all eight Sharks picks at the 2014 draft: