The San Jose Sharks are heading toward a summer that could force some tough calls on three prospects whose draft rights are ticking down. If they don’t make enough of an impression, those rights can expire next August and send them into unrestricted free agency.
One of the players facing that pressure is Eli Barnett, the Sharks’ first seventh-round pick in 2022. His rights run through August 15, 2027, and he arrived in the system as a six-foot-six defenseman out of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL, with a stop at the University of Vermont ahead of him. Barnett spent two seasons in Burlington before moving on from the NCAA entirely.
Last season, Barnett played for the University of New Brunswick in USports. His size still gives him value on the back end, but at this point he looks like a long shot to land an entry-level contract after falling out of the NCAA game.
Reese Laubach is in a different spot. He may not project as much more than a depth forward, and the current outlook points to a career in the AHL or ECHL.
Even so, he appears to be the kind of player worth keeping around on an entry-level deal. As Elite Prospects’ J.D.
Burke put it, "The San Jose Sharks prospect is an enthusiastic forechecker, a diligent defensive player, and a net-front nuisance... He’s neither the fleetest of foot nor the speediest operator with the puck on his stick."
The most promising case of the group belongs to Joey Muldowney, the earliest pick among the three after going in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He also looks like the best bet to get a contract. Muldowney put together a huge 2024-25 season at the University of Connecticut, scoring 29 goals in 39 games and adding 18 assists.
"Muldowney brings a strong scoring touch, above-average skating, and the ability to play effectively in all three zones," Dobber Prospects scout Kenny Kaminsky wrote last year. "He thrives in transition and can influence the pace of play. The biggest question mark is his size, at 5-9 and 161 pounds, but plenty of smaller players have proven they can succeed at the NHL level."
Not every decision here will be straightforward. Barnett looks unlikely to earn an entry-level contract next summer, Muldowney has a strong shot at one, and Laubach sits somewhere in between but seems likely to be signed. The Sharks still have time, but these three are squarely in prove-it territory.
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Warsofsky came away with a mix of encouragement and unfinished business from the group, and his remarks underscored how early this competition still is. Eric Pohlkamp drew notice, Nolan Allan was starting to move in the right direction after a quiet start to camp, and Leo Sahlin-Wallenius was getting his first taste of North American pro hockey. For a defense corps still trying to sort out who can handle bigger responsibility, those evaluations may matter more than the final score. [Read more 🡒]
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The next step is still the patient one, as Karmanov is set to continue his development in junior hockey with the OHLs North Bay Battalion before eventually heading to Penn State for the 2027-28 season. For now, the Sharks can tuck away a memorable first look at a prospect who stood out in a camp built around competition, but whose long-term track is still very much in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Put Early Playoff Hopes On Askarov In A Brutal Opening Stretch
Yaroslav Askarov enters the new season with more on his shoulders than just the crease. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky and general manager Mike Grier have both made it clear they want the young goalie to sharpen his consistency and grow into the No. 1 role, and the timing could hardly be tougher with a shortened training camp and an early schedule that is expected to test San Jose right away.
There is optimism around the leap the Sharks believe Askarov can make, especially after he devoted the summer to a different preparation routine and arrived looking stronger. San Jose's playoff hopes are tied in part to whether that work translates quickly, because if Askarov settles in, the club can start to believe its early push is real. If he does not, the margin for error may disappear fast. [Read more 🡒]