On Friday night, the winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award will be announced. Among the final three is a San Jose Sharks prospect, Eric Pohlkamp of the University of Denver.
I recently sat down with Frank Zawrazky, co-editor of THN's NCAA site, to discuss what makes Pohlkamp stand out. Zawrazky's familiarity with Pohlkamp dates back to the USHL when Pohlkamp played with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
"Pohlkamp is a big body, can block a lot of shots, has a keen eye for threading the needle on pucks. Really is just a good vision player," Zawrazky said. "It's rare to find a guy like him who could use his vision in tandem with a big frame."
Pohlkamp helped Denver move on to the National Championship last night with a victory over the Michigan Wolverines. So far this season, the 22-year-old defenseman has scored 18 goals and a total of 39 points while being a +24 in 42 games.
Max Plante and T.J. Hughes are the other two finalists for the Hobey Baker. Zawrazky sees Plante as the favorite to win the trophy, with Pohlkamp as his second choice and Hughes rounding out the trio. "Hughes is getting lifted up a little bit by Michael Hage and his other line mates," Zawrazky said. "It's hard to look bad on that line, and Hughes is a good player, but the player comparable I've used for TJ Hughes is Quinn Hutson of the Edmonton Oilers."
There has been a lot of speculation about Pohlkamp's future and when he'll move into professional hockey. Zawrazky believes that Pohlkamp will need some time in the American Hockey League before he steps into the Sharks' lineup, but he sees some high-end upside with him.
"I think he'll be a second pairing defenseman," Zawrazky said. "You can put him on a kill. You can put him on the power play. He's a very versatile offensive defenseman, and his frame provides a lot of upside for San Jose."
The winner of the Hobey Baker Award will be announced tonight, at 5 P.M. PT on NHL Network.