Sam Dickinson Signs Entry-Level Contract With San Jose; Could we see him with the Sharks out of Training Camp?

The London Knights' superstar defenseman has signed with the San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks didn’t waste any time signing their new top defense prospect to his entry-level contract. Sam Dickinson has officially gotten paid.

San Jose frankly lucked out by having the London Knights' star defenseman fall into their lap at pick No. 11 on Day 1 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Dickinson has all the makings of becoming a top-pairing defenseman who can play in all situations. He should have gone in the top 10.

Just like it has been with all the other first-round signees from the 2024 draft, Dickinson signed a maximum entry-level deal worth $2.93 million, which carries a cap hit of $975,000.

As per Puck Pedia, everyone’s new best friend, Sam will receive a signing bonus of $97,500 in all three years and carries a base salary of $877,500.

Additionally, in 2024-25 he is eligible for a performance bonus worth $550,000. In 2025-26, that bonus increases up to $800,000. And in 2026-27, he could earn an extra $1 million.

Dickinson most likely will finish the 2024-25 season in a London Knights uniform, but don’t be surprised if the 18-year-old blueliner makes a splash at training camp in San Jose, and bids for a spot on the Sharks’ opening night roster.

San Jose is extremely weak in the defense department. Mario Ferrario, Jake Walman, and Jan Rutta make up their top three defensemen on the team. Henry Thrun and Ty Emberson showed they could be full-time NHL players next year, but both are RFA’s and need new contracts.

Marc-Eduoard Vlasic is now 37 years old and should only be played in a sheltered third-pairing role.

However, it’s reasonable to think that Dickinson, who already plays a pro-style, could challenge Thrun, Emberson, Vlasic, Matt Benning, and some of the other young defensemen in the team’s system for an auditioning stint to start the season.

Dickinson is an NHL-level skater already. He can push pucks up ice with his powerful and effortless stride and has the size and strength to defend against men, whereas defending against junior players is just too easy for him.

As if Sharks fans weren’t already excited about landing the first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, don’t sleep on Sam Dickinson and him becoming the team’s next No. 1 defenseman.