OHL In The System: San Jose Sharks

As the 2024 NHL Draft concludes and development camps kick off across the National Hockey League, we’re diving into the current and former OHL talent within each NHL Club’s prospect pool.

This 32-part series will spotlight OHL players who are either signed to an NHL or AHL contract or are recently drafted, and are 25 years old or younger with 50 or fewer NHL games played.

Join us for OHL In the System!

First up, we explore the prospect pool of the San Jose Sharks.

Sam Dickinson (D) — London Knights (2022-24)
Selected: 2024 NHL Draft (11th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 130 Games Played | 27 Goals | 66 Assists | 93 Points
Age: 18
Selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks, defenceman Sam Dickinson saw a significant boost in his performance during the 2023-24 season. He scored 18 goals and totalled 70 points with the London Knights, more than tripling his points from the previous year. Dickinson ranked fourth among OHL defencemen in scoring and fourth in assists with 52. After falling to the Peterborough Petes in the 2023 OHL Championship Series, Dickinson’s 13 points in the 2024 Playoffs helped the London Knights capture the J. Ross Robertson Cup a year later. He earned a spot on the OHL First All-Rookie Team in 2022-23 and was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team in 2023-24. Internationally, Dickinson won gold with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup before the 2023-24 season and captained Team Red at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Quentin Musty (LW) — Sudbury Wolves (2021-24)
Selected: 2023 NHL Draft (26th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 156 Games Played | 81 Goals | 130 Assists | 211 Points
Age: 18
San Jose’s first round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, Quentin Musty was a top point-producer for the Sudbury Wolves this past season, registering 43 goals, 59 assists and 102 points in 53 regular season contests. He led all OHL skaters with 1.92 points-per-game. Signing his entry-level contract with the club on October 4, 2023, Musty has remained a consistent offensive force, totaling 211 points over 156 games played with the Wolves. The Hamburg, NY. native was named to the 2023-24 OHL First All-Star Team. Musty was the first overall pick of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection.

Kasper Halttunen (RW) — London Knights (2023-24)
Selected: 2023 NHL Draft (36th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 57 Games Played | 32 Goals | 29 Assists | 61 Points
Age: 19
Selected in the second round by the Sharks in the 2023 NHL Draft, Finnish forward Kasper Halttunen helped lead the London Knights to an OHL championship this past season, setting a new OHL playoff record for goals by an import player with 17. This followed 61 points in 57 regular season contests for the Knights as his 16 powerplay goals were tied for the league lead. Selected 41st overall by the Knights in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, Halttunen has also found success on the international stage, representing Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

Braden Haché (D) — Kingston Frontenacs (2019-23), Barrie Colts (2023), Saginaw Spirit (2023-24)
Signed (AHL): June 3, 2024
OHL Career Stats: 217 Games Played | 15 Goals | 36 Assists | 51 Points
Age: 21
Having just completed his most successful season in the Ontario Hockey League, Braden Haché captained the Saginaw Spirit to the 2024 Memorial Cup and was rewarded with an AHL contract by the Sharks organization. The overage player from Newmarket, Ontario, received the Mickey Renaud OHL Captains Trophy at the 2024 OHL Awards. On the ice, he finished his fourth OHL season with 22 points in 65 games and a plus-27 rating, along with seven points in 15 playoff games. In 2020-21, Haché won the Dayna Brons Honourary Award for his work with Hockey Gives Blood.

Ethan Cardwell (C) — Saginaw Spirit (2018-20), Barrie Colts (2020-23)
Signed: April 14, 2023
OHL Career Stats: 189 Games Played | 94 Goals | 106 Assists | 200 Points
Age: 21
Selected by the Sharks in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Ethan Cardwell signed an entry-level contract with the club on April 14, 2023. Playing in his rookie season with the San Jose Barracuda this past season, the Courtice, Ont. native recorded 43 points (23-20-43) in 71 regular season contests. Prior to turning pro, Cardwell spent four seasons in the OHL between the Saginaw Spirit and Barrie Colts, tallying 200 points over 189 games played. One of his finest OHL moments came on Jan. 25, 2020 when he scored four goals in a game against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Artem Guryev (D) — Peterborough Petes (2019-22), Flint Firebirds (2022-23)
Selected: 2021 NHL Draft (135th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 98 Games Played | 8 Goals | 22 Assists | 30 Points
Age: 21
Selected by the Sharks in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, physical blueliner Artem Guryev signed his first professional contract on April 14, 2023. Finishing his rookie season in the AHL with the Barracuda, the Moscow native registered four points in 31 games played. Chosen by the Peterborough Petes in the second round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, the 6-foot-4 blueliner spent three seasons in the OHL between the Petes and the Flint Firebirds, tallying 30 points in 98 regular season contests. He was the centrepiece of a return in a trade that saw Brennan Othmann join the Peterborough Petes on Nov. 12, 2022.

Joe Carroll (LW) — Soo Greyhounds (2018-21), Peterborough Petes (2021-22)
Acquired (AHL): March 15, 2024
OHL Career Stats: 226 Games Played | 68 Goals | 74 Assists | 142 Points
Age: 23
Acquired by the San Jose Barracuda from the Syracuse Crunch, Joe Carroll concluded his second AHL season, tallying 25 points (12-13-25) in 56 games played between the two clubs in 2023-24. Caroll enjoyed a productive first season of professional hockey with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears in 2022-23, registering 22 points (13-9–22) over 23 games. Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-3, 194-pound native of Carp, Ont., spent four years in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds and Peterborough Petes, totalling 142 points (68-74-142) in 226 games played. He helped the Greyhounds win a Western Conference title as a rookie in 2017-18.

Mitchell Russell (RW) — Owen Sound Attack (2017-18), North Bay Battalion (2018-22)
Signed: May 19, 2022
OHL Career Stats: 239 Games Played | 78 Goals | 83 Assists | 161 Points
Age: 23
Signing an entry-level contract with the Sharks as a free-agent on May 19, 2022, Mitchell Russell has continued to work hard on the ice, playing in 35 games (9-13-22) with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, along with appearing in two games with the Barracuda in an injury-shortened 2023-24 season. Originally selected 20th overall by the Owen Sound Attack in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Russell played four seasons in the OHL between the Attack and the North Bay Battalion, registering 161 points over 239 regular season games played. The Barrie, Ont. native helped the Battalion reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, contributing 22 points in 11 playoff contests.

Danil Gushchin (LW) — Niagara IceDogs (2021-22)
Selected: 2020 NHL Draft (76th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 51 Games Played | 41 Goals | 30 Assists | 71 Points
Age: 22
Highly skilled Russian winger Danil Gushchin is just scratching the surface in a young Sharks organization. He’s appeared in six NHL games over the past two seasons, with more opportunity likely to come his way in 2024-25. Selected 76th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Gushchin signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks on May 21, 2021. Concluding his third season in the AHL, Gushchin tallied 54 points in 56 regular season games played with the Barracuda. The 5-foot-10 forward played one season in the OHL after being selected by the Niagara IceDogs in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, registering 71 points (41-30-71) in 51 games played during the 2021-22 campaign.

Jack Thompson (D) — Sudbury Wolves (2018-22), Soo Greyhounds (2022)
Acquired: March 7, 2024
OHL Career Stats: 180 Games Played | 40 Goals | 65 Assists | 105 Points
Age: 22
Selected in the second round of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection by the Sudbury Wolves, Jack Thompson spent three seasons in the OHL between the Wolves and the Soo Greyhounds, totaling 105 points over 180 regular season contests. Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-1 blueliner was traded to the Sharks on March 7, 2024 in a deal that saw Anthony Duclair head to Tampa Bay. Thompson made his Sharks debut on April 15, 2024. Splitting the 2023-24 season between the Syracuse Crunch and San Jose Barracuda, Thompson tallied 41 points over 64 contests in his second AHL season. He was a Canadian World Junior gold medalist in 2022.

Brandon Coe (RW) – North Bay Battalion (2017-22)
Selected: 2020 NHL Draft (98th Overall)
OHL Career Stats: 250 Games Played | 86 Goals | 67 Assists | 101 Points
Age: 22
A former third overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection, Brandon Coe had the benefit of an extra year in the OHL prior to being drafted, due to his late birthday. Coe, whose 250 games are the fifth-most among North Bay Battalion players, became a fixture on the wing for the Troops, helping them reach the Eastern Conference Championship Series in 2022. He’s now played parts of three AHL seasons with the San Jose Barracuda, coming off 17 points (12-5–17) in 57 games in 2023-24. Coe is currently a restricted free agent.

Egor Afanasyev (LW) — Windsor Spitfires (2019-20)
Selected: 2019 NHL Draft (45th overall)
OHL Career Stats: 62 Games Played | 31 Goals | 36 Assists | 67 Points
Age: 23
Originally selected by the Nashville Predators in the 2019 Draft, Egor Afanasyev was acquired by the Sharks on June 23, 2024 in exchange for prospect Ozzy Wiesblatt. The 23-year-old Afanasyev led the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL with 54 points and 27 goals and finished third on the club with 27 assists in 56 games during the 2023-24 season. Selected by the Ottawa 67’s in the sixth round of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Afanasyev was dealt to Windsor in a trade that saw the 67’s acquire goaltender Michael DiPietro. He spent the 2019-20 season with the Spits, recording 67 points (31-36-67) in 62 games played. It’s been reported that Afanasyev may be signing in Russia’s KHL for the coming 2024-25 season.

 

Tomorrow on In The System, we’ll take a look at the OHL Talent inside the Chicago Blackhawks organization!