The Sharks are bringing a roster to Rookie Faceoff that looks more like a preview of the near future than a standard prospect group.
Center Michael Misa and wingers Igor Chernyshov and Ivar Stenberg headline San Jose’s entry for next week’s event at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice, and all three have a real path to the NHL out of training camp. The roster is deep overall, with 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies, but those three names jump out first.
Chernyshov, the 33rd pick in the 2024 draft, already has some pro experience under his belt. He posted 19 points in 28 games with the Sharks last season while splitting time between the NHL and AHL. Misa, the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, finished with 21 points in 45 games for the Sharks last season and is projected to slot in as the team’s second- or third-line center this year.
Stenberg brings a different kind of buzz. The No. 2 overall pick this year played full-time in the Swedish Hockey League with Frolunda HC last season and put up 33 points in 43 games.
That total was the fifth-most ever by a player 18 years old or younger in league history, and it has fueled talk that he could be ready for the NHL right away. He turns 19 on Sept.
How much each of those three plays in the tournament is still up in the air. San Jose opens against Los Angeles on Sept. 12 and then faces Utah on Sept. 13, with both games set for 5 p.m. at Tech CU Arena.
The roster also includes several other recent premium draft picks trying to make noise. Filip Bystedt, a first-rounder in 2022, was an AHL all-star last season and led the Barracuda with 60 points in 65 games.
Quentin Musty, a 2023 first-round pick, had 45 points in 61 games with the Barracuda and is on the Sharks’ roster for this event for the fourth straight year. Cam Lund is back as well after putting up 25 points in 37 games last season before an injury in February ended his year.
With training camp shortened and only four preseason games on the calendar, Bystedt, Musty and Lund will have to separate themselves quickly if they want a legitimate shot at the opening night roster. San Jose’s first regular season game comes Oct. 1 at home against the Florida Panthers.
On the blue line, the Sharks are leaning on draft picks Leo Sahlin-Wallenius, Eric Pohlkamp, Mattias Havelid and Alexander Karmanov, the 7-foot-1, 275-pound seventh-rounder from this year’s draft. Sahlin-Wallenius, Pohlkamp and Havelid could push for spots with the big club, though they may be more likely to begin the season with the Barracuda.
Sahlin-Wallenius is entering his first full season of North American pro hockey after spending last year in Sweden. Pohlkamp is also new to the pro ranks after helping the University of Denver win an NCAA Division I title and finishing as a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
In goal, San Jose will roll out Brady Knowling, a fourth-round pick this year, Matt Davis, a 2025 free-agent signing who spent most of last season with Wichita of the ECHL, and Arizona State alum Connor Hasley.
Sharks roster
Forwards - Jordan Bax, Filip Bystedt, Igor Chernyshov, Aurelio Garcia, Andre Gasseau, Jake Gustafson, Brendan Hoffmann, Connor Lockhart, Cam Lund, Pavel Martinu, Michael Misa, Quentin Musty, Ivar Stenberg, Carson Wetsch.
Defensemen - Jake Boltmann, Mattias Havelid, Alexander Karmanov, Thomas Messineo, Mack Oliphant, Eric Pohlkamp, Leo Sahlin-Wallenius, Tristan Sarsland, Phillip Sinn.
Goalies - Matt Davis, Connor Hasley, Brady Knowling.
Rookie Faceoff schedule
Sept. 12
Colorado vs. Anaheim, 1 p.m., Tech CU Arena
Utah vs. Vegas, 3 p.m., Orange Rink, Sharks Ice
San Jose vs. Los Angeles, 5 p.m., Tech CU Arena
Sept. 13
Vegas vs. Colorado, 1 p.m., Tech CU Arena
Anaheim vs. Los Angeles, 3 p.m., Orange Rink
San Jose vs. Utah, 5 p.m., Tech CU Arena
Sept. 15
Utah vs. Los Angeles, 1 p.m., Orange Rink
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