The San Jose Sharks are betting big on Sam Dickinson - and so far, the 19-year-old blueliner is giving them every reason to feel good about it.
Taken 11th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, Dickinson wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster this season. The team had a clear off-ramp about a month ago: they could’ve sent him back to junior, preserved a year on his entry-level contract, and gained some extra cap flexibility down the line. That’s a move we’ve seen plenty of teams make with young prospects - especially when they’re not quite ready for the NHL grind.
But the Sharks didn’t blink. They kept Dickinson in San Jose, burning the first year of his three-year entry-level deal in the process. That decision says a lot about how they view him - not just as a future piece, but as someone who can help them right now.
And the early returns? Impressive.
At 6-foot-4, Dickinson already has the kind of physical profile NHL teams drool over. He’s strong, smooth on his skates, and brings a skill set that’s more refined than you’d expect from a teenager still adjusting to the pace of the pro game. But it’s not just the eye test that’s turning heads - the numbers are backing it up, too.
According to data from Stathletes, Dickinson ranks among the top 20 NHL defensemen in four key 5-on-5 metrics (on a per-60-minute basis) as of Nov. 30: high-danger chances, inner slot carries, offensive turnovers created, and puck recoveries. That’s not just solid for a rookie - that’s elite territory, period.
What that tells us is that Dickinson isn’t just surviving out there - he’s actively driving play. He’s making things happen in the offensive zone, he’s recovering pucks in tough areas, and he’s showing the kind of instincts you usually see in players five or six years older.
Sure, there’s still room to grow. No 19-year-old defenseman is a finished product, and Dickinson will have his share of mistakes as the season wears on. But the Sharks clearly believe the benefits of letting him develop at the NHL level outweigh the short-term cost of starting his contract clock early.
And honestly, it’s hard to argue with them. When you’ve got a young defenseman who’s already skating like a veteran and putting up advanced numbers that rival some of the league’s best, you don’t send him back to junior - you let him keep learning, keep battling, and keep building toward what looks like a very bright future.
The Sharks are in a rebuild, but players like Dickinson are the kind of cornerstone pieces that can accelerate that process. He’s not just part of the plan - he’s helping shape it.