The San Jose Sharks prospect pool was ranked No. 4 in the NHL by The Athletic today.

The San Jose Sharks prospect pool was ranked No. 4 in the NHL by The Athletic today.

Last season, the Sharks prospect pool was ranked No. 17. After some trades and a true rebuilding plan, Mike Grier has begun to load up on elite prospects. 

The unquestioned and consensus No. 1 prospect in the system is Will Smith. He was the Sharks' first-round draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

"He's the kind of player who can beat you with a pass, a dangerous wrister (which beats goalies with timing and accuracy more than power), or a deke. He's a treat to watch in possession and processes the game at such an advanced and rapid level. The way he wheels across the top of the circles and then playmakes from the high slot, or slips off the wall to the middle, is special. The way he walks through coverage and hangs onto pucks is special. He's just so hard to get a hand on. There's just this elusiveness to his game where you never know where he's going with the puck. I like the growth he has shown in the last year and a bit to hunt and come up with more pucks, too," Wheeler writes.

Despite not being on Craig Button's top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects, The Athletic ranks Sudbury Wolves winger Quentin Musty as the Sharks' second-best prospect. 

Musty is having a career season in the Ontario Hockey League. He has 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 41 games so far this season. He scored 78 points in 53 games during his draft year last season. 

"He's a big (6-foot-2, already over 200 pounds), strong, sturdy, athletic winger with slick puckhandling skill one-on-one and a balanced skater's stride. He can unload from his hip into a heavy snapshot or drop and attack the net into a tuck play in tight. He's also really comfortable passing from the perimeter and hitting seams in coverage, which gives his game added dimension. He's great along the wall on the cycle, but he can also occasionally make a play that pulls you out of your seat. The raw potential is there in spades and the production, which began to catch up to it as his draft year progressed, is now right there as well. He's got time to continue to find new levels and develop his game thanks to his summer birthday as well. There was a time when folks thought Musty was the best American-born 2005 prospect and while that's no longer the case there's still a lot to get excited about," Wheeler writes.

According to The Athletic, Shakir Mukhamadullin rounds out the top three prospects in the Sharks system. He showed well in his three-game cameo in the NHL this season.

The next 12 players include the likes of Luca Cagnoni, Thomas Bordeleau, and Filip Bystedt. See the rest of the list and where they fall on The Athletic.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Timo Meier Reflects On His Time With Sharks; Brought Marleau & Thornton's Impact On Him To Devils

Pregame Preview #57: Timo Meier Returns To Where He Was Drafted As Sharks Host Devils

'I Was Upset To Say The Least'; Kevin Labanc & David Quinn's On Ice Relationship Is Disconnected

Logan Couture Provides An Update On His Injury & His Future With The Sharks

Filip Zadina's Game Is On The Upswing; Talks About Support From Mike Ricci

• undefined