A discussion of the Luke Kunin trade. Kasper Halttunen lifting the J. Ross Robertson Cup last season [Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media]. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4a32286f-7924-4c92-8419-81d8c69bc03c.webp] Kasper Halttunen lifting the J. Ross Robertson Cup last season [Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media]. Brighter days lie ahead for San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] fans based on the performance of four of their prospects in the OHL this season. There hasn't been a ton to cheer about in San Jose this season as the Sharks sit last in the NHL. Most fans are choosing to concentrate on the emergence of young stars like Macklin Celbrinni, William Eklund and Will Smith. For those looking for more information on the Sharks prospects look no further than the OHL! Of the 18 picks San Jose made at the last two NHL Drafts, four played in the OHL this season. Quentin Musty [https://chl.ca/ohl/players/8459/] - Sudbury Wolves - 2023 First-Round Pick Musty finished the 2023-24 OHL season fourth in league scoring and second on the Wolves with 102 points in 53 games. Disappointingly, the team flamed out in the first round of the playoffs resulting in a coaching change. Coming into 2024-25 Musty was adamant that he would not play for Sudbury, demanding a trade. Ultimately, there was no trade, and Musty joined the team in November. In 32 games, Musty has scored a stunning 29 goals and a total of 58 points. His 1.8 points per game would result in 123 points over the course of a full season which would easily land him in the top-10 scorers in the OHL. At 6-foot-2, Musty is an elite offensive player with a laser for a shot and excellent hands. Due to his speed, he is a player who can hurt opposing teams all over the ice with his skill set. While he can be devastating on the powerplay, he also excels at scoring at even strength with more than half of his points coming at even strength during his draft year. At 19, he complements the young core in San Jose, and is a guy who will complement San Jose's young core extremely well and provide them with size and scoring. Kasper Halttunen [https://chl.ca/ohl/players/8931/] - London Knights - 2023 Second-Round Pick Halttunen started the season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda and performed admirably in the six games he played. The right-handed forward scored two goals and added two assists during his time with the Barracuda. The Finnish forward has spent the last two seasons in London playing under Head Coach Dale Hunter. In 91 OHL games, Halttunen has 98 points maintaining an average of 1.08 points per game. He also plays on London's top powerplay unit where he delivers explosive one-timers from the left side of the ice. The big forward also comes with the ability to play a heavy game, bullying his opponents with his size and delivering crunching hits. During last year's playoffs, this style served him well resulting in 17 goals and nine assists in 18 games on the way to an OHL Championship. Even at this early stage in his career, Halttunen has played in a lot of big games. In 2021 he helped Sweden win a bronze medal at the U-18 World Junior Championship, before helping the U-20 team win a silver at the last World Junior Championship. Overall, Halttunen brings a unique combination of skill and physical play that could make him an effective power forward in the NHL. He could be an excellent depth player for the Sharks in the future. Sam Dickinson [https://chl.ca/ohl/players/8826/] - London Knights - 2024 First-Round Pick The eleventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft lit the world on fire to start the OHL season. He was not only the top-scoring defenseman in the league going into the break, he was a top-five scorer as well. Since the World Juniors, Dickinson's torrid scoring pace has cooled slightly resulting in a total of 27 goals and 55 assists through 51 games played. He is second in scoring amongst OHL defenders trailing only Zayne Parekh. This total far exceeds the 70 points he scored in 68 games last season. Impressively, only 12 of his goals come on the powerplay meaning that more than half of his goals were scored at even strength. The 6-foot-3 defender could be the whole package. He excels at joining the rush while his hockey IQ and puck moving skills are excellent. He can also play a physical game while shutting down the opposing team's top scorers. "Continual Growth" Resulting In Sam Dickinson's Phenomenal Start [https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/MjExMTAxNjM4MjYwMTcyMzM1/dickinson_ld_a26p7352.jpg] "Continual Growth" Resulting In Sam Dickinson's Phenomenal Start San Jose first-round pick, Sam Dickinson, currently leads all OHL defensemen in points and sits sixth in league scoring. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/continual-growth-resulting-in-sam-dickinsons-phenomenal-start] Though plus-minus is a flawed stat, Dickinson leads the league with a plus-61 on the season. It's also the highest plus-minus in the CHL. Dickinson has the potential to be a number one defender on an NHL team. While he isn't there yet, he could be ready to make an impact in the NHL in the coming years. Igor Chernyshov [https://chl.ca/ohl/players/9117/] - Saginaw Spirit - 2024 Second-Round Pick The Russian forward joined Saginaw in the second half of the year and has taken the league by storm. In just 18 games Chernyshov has 17 goals and 27 assists for a stunning 44 points. He's averaged 2.44 points per game during his extremely short tenure in the OHL. At that pace he would score 64 goals and a total of 166 points in a single season. For context, that kind of a season would place Chernyshov third in the rankings for most points in a single OHL season. Only John Goodwin (1980-1) and Doug Gilmour (1982-3) scored more points in a single season. However, all of this is irrelevant as Chernyshov was unavailable for the beginning of the year due to injury. At 6-foot-3, Chernyshov is another big forward with tons of offensive potential. He plays an uncomplicated game that is augmented by strong hands and a strong shot. Interestingly, he played in the KHL last season and is still adjusting to the smaller ice in North America. It should be noted that playing in the KHL at 18 is a big accomplishment. Ultimately, these are four players Sharks fans should be excited about. They have played huge roles on their OHL teams and shown up big time on scoreboards throughout the season. If they continue to develop, these players could be joining a young Sharks group in the near future. Not only are they all skilled, but they are all big, which will help them adjust to playing against NHL players. It remains to be seen how they will develop, but if they do, they will help usher in a new era in Sharks history. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
