NHL Prospect Watch: San Jose Sharks

Ahead of the 2025-26 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for each of the NHL’s 32 teams. This series will highlight current and former WHLers who are signed to an NHL contract, have recently been drafted by an NHL team, or meet the NHL’s definition of a rookie.

Don’t go into the water- the San Jose Sharks prospect pool is looking as dangerous as ever!

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Luca Cagnoni

Twenty-year-old Luca Cagnoni made waves in his first taste of the NHL. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound blueliner logged six games with the big club and added his first NHL points with a pair of assists. Cagnoni led all Sharks defenders in ice time in his debut (23:15) and averaged more than 17:00 through six contests. He’s the first defenceman selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, where he was chosen with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round, to skate in his first NHL game. Cagnoni also finished third in scoring among all AHL defencemen with 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points with the San Jose Barracuda and led the entire league with 32 powerplay points. The Burnaby, B.C. product made the 2024-25 AHL All-Rookie Team and ranks as the highest-scoring AHL rookie defenceman in the last seven years. Cagnoni suited up for more than 200 games over four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks, tallying 44 goals and 149 assists for 193 points. In 2023-24, he became the first defenceman in the WHL to reach 90 points since 1993-94 (18G-72A) and put up an impressive +47 rating through 65 regular season contests. He picked up WHL U.S. Division First-Team All-Star honours before erupting for 13 points in 13 postseason matches to help the Winterhawks reach the 2024 WHL Championship Series.

Making his NHL debut tonight, Luca Cagnoni becomes the first defenseman from the 2023 draft to appear in a NHL game. https://t.co/J6cngOkB0D

— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) March 21, 2025

Cole Clayton

Former Medicine Hat Tigers alternate captain Cole Clayton is on the move! After spending his entire professional career with the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 25-year-old signed a one-year two-way contract with the Sharks on July 1, 2025. Clayton, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound defender, picked up 15 points (1G-14A) with Cleveland in 2024-25, was named an alternate captain, and appeared in six Calder Cup contests. He was also recognized as the team’s AHL Man of the Year for his contributions to the community. The Strathmore, Alta. product has surpassed 200 professional games over five seasons since graduating from the WHL. Clayton played parts of five seasons with the Medicine Hat starting in 2017 and racked up 88 points (17 goals, 71 assists) and a +27 plus/minus rating in 214 career WHL games. He led all defencemen in goals (nine) and points (30) during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Max Heise

Incoming Prince Albert Raider Max Heise is one of the newest members of the Sharks organization after being chosen with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound forward put up 27 goals and 13 assists for 40 points in 50 games with the Penticton Vees in 2024-25, in addition to another 17 points (5G-12A) in 14 postseason twirls. Heise, 19, signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement shortly before the NHL Draft.

With the 150th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 #NHLDraft, the @SanJoseSharks have selected @PARaidersHockey signee Max Heise!#TheFutureisTeal pic.twitter.com/e0AOKRlWA3

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 28, 2025

Gannon Laroque

Twenty-two-year-old Gannon Laroque was off to a promising start at San Jose Sharks training camp in 2024, but the 6-foot-2, 201-pound defenceman missed the entire 2024-25 season with an undisclosed injury. He had previously battled through a shortened 2023-24 after undergoing hip surgery. Laroque, from Edmonton, Alta., played parts of four seasons with the Victoria Royals, snagging WHL B.C. Division First Team All-Star honours after a 10-goal, 42-assist run in 63 games in 2021-22.

Gannon Laroque with his first AHL goal! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/K6jV4xqYvI

— SJ Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) April 21, 2024

Nate Misskey

Nate Misskey set career highs across the board to help the Victoria Royals capture the B.C. Division title for the first time since 2016. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound rearguard buried a personal-best 10 goals and 37 assists for 47 points in 63 games- tying for 18th in points among all WHL defencemen and finishing seventh overall on the Royals. Misskey also picked up six assists in 11 playoff games as the Royals reached the second round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs. The Melfort, Sask. product was drafted by the Sharks 143rd overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

GAME. SET. MATCH.

Nate Misskey is your overtime hero.@VictoriaRoyals | @SanJoseSharks | #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/xBU941J7UC

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) November 28, 2024

Joshua Ravensbergen

Scouts were raving about Joshua Ravensbergen’s NHL potential, and with the 30th overall pick, he became the first goaltender selected in the first round of the NHL Draft since 2021! The 6-foot-6, 191-pound puckstopper went 33-13-3-1 in the regular season with a 3.00 goals-against average and a.901 save percentage, tying for second in wins, fourth in minutes played and sixth in shots and saves. The North Vancouver, B.C. product was one of only five netminders to play more than 50 games and was named a finalist for the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy for WHL Goaltender of the Year. He also made the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team in the spring. Ravensbergen came through with 15 saves and an assist in a 6-1 win over the United States National Team Development Program in the first-ever  CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada in November and will make his case to represent Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

There’s a reason Joshua Ravensbergen is the top-ranked North American goaltender according to NHL Central Scouting…

This is that reason!@PGCougars | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/mbiLSB24Pr

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 27, 2025

Colton Roberts

Another rangy blueliner chosen in the 2024 NHL Draft (131st overall), 6-foot-4, 209-pound Colton Roberts trended up in his third full season with the Vancouver Giants. The Maple Ridge, B.C. product had six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 66 regular-season games, finishing seventh on the team in assists. The 19-year-old also had a goal and an assist in five playoff games, though the Giants were in tough against the Spokane Chiefs, who made it all the way to the WHL Championship Series. Roberts has piled up 16 goals and 59 assists for 75 points in 195 career WHL games, all with his hometown club.

FOUR 👏 UNANSWERED 👏 GOALS 👏

The @WHLGiants are on an incredible tear, featuring this beauty from @SanJoseSharks prospect Colton Roberts!#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/1LSScZotTO

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 31, 2025

Carson Wetsch

As if fans needed more reasons to watch Carson Wetsch in 2025-26! The former Calgary Hitmen Captain was traded to Kelowna in a blockbuster offseason trade as the Rockets prepare to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound winger notched 33 goals and 20 assists for 53 points in 68 games this season, highlighted by a league-leading 10 game-winning strikes, a hat trick, and a Gordie Howe Hat trick that saw Wetsch bag Calgary’s 2024 Teddy Bear Toss goal. Wetsch had another six points (5G-1) in 11 postseason games, including a hat trick in Game 3 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Round Two. Wetsch was chosen with the 82nd overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Not only is he looking ahead to the Memorial Cup, he’s also got a shot at cracking Team Canada after a promising showing at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase. Wetsch was also honoured with Hockey Gives Blood’s Dayna Brons Honourary Award for his work as a blood and plasma donation ambassador.

🎥HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT🎥

Only Carson Wetsch can make bears fly!🧸@WHLHitmen | @SanJoseSharks | #SJSharks | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/kxiyh57svh

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) December 2, 2024