The Sharks head into this weekend’s Rookie Faceoff with a roster that looks deeper than the rest of the field and a lot more complicated to sort out.
San Jose has 25 players on hand for the event at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice, and the group is built around a stack of draft capital: eight first- or second-round picks are on the roster. Some of these players are headed back to major junior soon.
Others should land with the Barracuda or Wichita sometime this month. A few are trying to force their way into the NHL lineup right away.
The Sharks open against the Los Angeles Kings’ rookie team on Saturday and then face the Utah Mammoth’s squad on Sunday. Both games start at 5 p.m. at Tech CU Arena. Anaheim, Colorado and Vegas are also in the mix.
Here are 10 Sharks prospects worth watching most closely, and where each one appears to be headed next.
Michael Misa is already one of the most interesting names in the building. In his second year as a pro, he finished strong after the Olympic break, then tied for third on the Sharks with seven goals over his final 27 games. He averaged 12:49 in ice time as a rookie, and that number should climb if he settles in as a middle-six center in year two.
Ivar Stenberg will draw a crowd for a different reason. The second overall pick in June’s draft turns 19 on Sept. 30, and he has enough skill and enough presence to push for the Sharks’ opening-night roster.
The catch is simple: he still has to earn it. San Jose could send him to the Barracuda if he isn’t quite ready, and if he does make the NHL team, the Sharks may keep him out of back-to-backs early on for health reasons.
Igor Chernyshov is another forward with a real path to the NHL, even if nothing is guaranteed. He remains waivers-exempt, which leaves open the possibility of an AHL start if camp goes sideways.
That would be a surprise after the way he played last season, when he put up 19 points in 28 NHL games. The Sharks are deeper up front now, but Chernyshov can still win a spot if he performs.
Filip Bystedt is in a different spot. He was close to a call-up last season, but the opening week picture is crowded now with Macklin Celebrini, Alexander Wennberg, Michael Misa and Zack Ostapchuk set as the Sharks’ four centermen. Bystedt may begin the year in the AHL, yet his NHL debut feels closer than it did a year ago.
Quentin Musty needs a step forward. He’s unlikely to crack the Sharks out of camp, and his first pro season with the Barracuda was good, just not quite enough to call it a breakout. If he makes another jump, a future NHL look is very much in play.
Cam Lund is another winger on the radar. He was having a strong year with the Barracuda before an injury ended his season in February. He should start in the AHL, but he’s the kind of player who could be among the first called up if San Jose needs help on the wing.
Andre Gasseau is the kind of big-body prospect the Sharks clearly wanted to get their hands on. San Jose acquired his rights from Boston in mid-June for a 2026 fourth-round pick, and at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he already has the frame to play a heavy game. The expectation is that he benefits from a full AHL season while he keeps developing his skill set.
Eric Pohlkamp enters camp with some real momentum. He was the NCAA’s top-scoring defenseman last season and finished as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, which puts him squarely in the conversation among young Sharks blueliners. Still, as a first-year pro, the long-term play probably points to starting with the Barracuda.
Leo Sahlin-Wallenius is finally in San Jose after spending parts of the last two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League. Drafted 53rd overall in 2024, he brings skating and puck-moving ability, but the North American game will ask more of him in his own end. Like Mattias Havelid last season, he’ll need time to adjust, and the AHL should give him that with meaningful minutes.
And then there’s Alexander Karmanov, who may be impossible to miss. The 7-foot-1, 275-pound defenseman was taken 201st overall in June, and his sheer size is going to make him one of the weekend’s biggest talking points. Whether opponents try to hit him or simply get around him, he’s the kind of prospect who can leave a mark before the Sharks send him back to the OHL.
In Other News...
Cam Lund Is Giving Sharks Fans A Real Roster Debate
Cam Lund has already given the Sharks a glimpse of why they took him in the second round back in 2022. After an 11-game NHL look in 2024-25, the 6-foot forward spent last season with the Barracuda, where his size and skating kept him on the radar as one of the organizations more intriguing young options. He chipped in offense while continuing to show the kind of profile that makes San Jose wonder how quickly he can push for a more permanent role.
The next step is less about raw talent than refinement, especially on the defensive side of the puck. Lund is still expected to keep developing in the AHL, where he should get more time to round out his game and stay ready for another NHL opportunity when the Sharks need help. For now, he sits in that familiar prospect space where the upside is obvious, the timeline is still flexible, and the roster conversation is already starting to get louder. [Read more 🡒]