NHL Prospect Watch: San Jose Sharks
In the lead-up to the 2026-27 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for every NHL team. To be included in this list, a player must be recently drafted, signed to an NHL contract, or meet the NHL’s criteria for rookie status.
After a long seven seasons without playoff hockey in San Jose, the Sharks have laid the groundwork to become a Western Conference force in the coming years.
Luca Cagnoni
Twenty-one-year-old Luca Cagnoni’s second professional season saw the 5-foot-9, 181-pound defender take a slight step back in production, but find the tools he needs to make the NHL. Cagnoni put up 43 points (8G-35A) in 67 games, ranking fifth on the San Jose Barracuda in scoring and 10th among all AHL defencemen. Notably, 23 of those points (3G-20A) came on the man advantage. He earned three games in the NHL and looks to carve out a position for himself on special teams for the Sharks. The Burnaby, B.C. product played more than 200 games with the Portland Winterhawks, racking up 193 points (44G-149A). Cagnoni’s final season of major junior puck saw him become the first defenceman in the WHL to hit 90 points since 1993-94 (18G-72A). He picked up WHL U.S. Division First-Team All-Star honours in 2023-24 and added 13 postseason points to help the Hawks reach the 2024 WHL Championship Series. Cagnoni was selected with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Jake Gustafson
Six-foot-four centreman Jake Gustafson’s rookie WHL campaign saw the 18-year-old post 25 points (13G-12A) in 68 regular-season tilts in Portland, highlighted by a hat trick against the Kamloops Blazers back in November of 2025. He led all Hawks rookies in goals while finishing fourth on the team in penalty minutes (68). The San Jose, Calif. product represented Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he earned an assist, and suited up for four playoff tilts. Gustafson had his name called by his hometown NHL club with the 174th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Max Heise
Another centreman boasting plenty of size, 6-foot-3, 172-pound Max Heise’s first Dub campaign was one to remember. The 20-year-old was named an alternate captain for the Prince Albert Raiders and went on to lead the team with 29 tucks in 63 games, in addition to 34 assists and a +28 rating. Despite being injured early in Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Playoffs, Heise returned to pot six points (4G-2A) in 16 games to help the Raiders reach the Final. The Calgarian also went 53.6% at the faceoff dot, ranking second on the squad with 431 faceoff wins. The Sharks’ 2025 fifth-round pick (150th overall) has one more season of junior eligibility remaining.
Ryan Lin
2026 21st overall pick Ryan Lin hopes to join a new class of smaller defencemen making waves in the NHL. Despite having his season shortened by injury, the 5-foot-11, 176-pound blueliner led the Vancouver Giants with 57 points (14G-43A) in 53 games in 2025-26. He nearly tripled his goal output from his monster 53-point rookie season and was named an alternate captain for Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Lin was named to the 2025-26 WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team and went on to suit up for Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he had the most points by a defenceman with six. Lin has played parts of three seasons in the WHL, totalling 110 points (19G-91A).
Nate Misskey
Melfort, Sask.’s Nate Misskey hit the university waters in 2025-26, netting 10 points (4G-6A) in 35 games with UMass-Lowell. Previously, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound right-shot defenceman turned in parts of four seasons on the Island with the Victoria Royals, including two turns as an alternate captain. Misskey, now 21, totalled 95 points (22G-73A) in 179 games, including a 47-point (10G-37A) run in 2024-25 that also saw the Royals reach the second round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs, along with one of the newest members of the Sharks’ prospect pool.
Joshua Ravensbergen
The puck stops here! Joshua Ravensbergen, 19, has made history as the first netminder in Prince George’s history to win WHL Goaltender of the Year (Hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr and Kevin Eastman previously won as members of the Victoria Cougars). The 6-foot-6, 195-pound puckstopper went 32-13-0-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and four shutouts to claim the title. Ravensbergen led all WHL netminders in wins and save percentage, tied for second in shutouts and clocked in at fourth in GAA. He was also named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team. After breaking into the WHL as an undrafted free agent, Ravensbergen has surpassed 30 wins twice. Over three seasons, the North Vancouverite owns an eye-popping 91-30-4-2 record, a 2.68 GAA, a .909 save percentage and 10 shutouts. San Jose snapped him up in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft with the 30th overall pick.
Colton Roberts
Another sizeable defender with a right-hand shot, 6-foot-4, 209-pound Colton Roberts registered 11 points (3G-8A) in 29 outings with Colorado College in 2025-26. But he also mentored a young Ryan Lin during his Vancouver Giants tenure- and the pair were even roommates at San Jose’s recent development camp. Roberts held down the Giants blueline with 75 points (16G-59A) in 195 games over parts of four seasons. He was selected with the 131st overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Keaton Verhoeff
A big year saw Keaton Verhoeff get called in the top 10, take on new roles at the international level and give a new league a spin. After collecting 20 points (6G-14A) with the University of North Dakota, the Victoria Royals alum wore the ‘C’ for Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he logged four helpers. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. product also had four assists at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship en route to a bronze medal. The 2025 WHL Rookie of the Year finalist was with the Royals for parts of two seasons, highlighted by a 21-goal, 45-point campaign in 2024-25. He was one of the highest-drafted defencemen in 2026 as the ninth overall pick.
Carson Wetsch
It’s on to the professional ranks for Kelowna Rockets captain Carson Wetsch! The 20-year-old enjoyed one of his strongest WHL seasons with a 72-point (22G-50A) season in the Okanagan. Wetsch has surpassed the 20-goal mark for three straight seasons and ranked second on the Rockets in points. Wetsch, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound winger, also logged seven games with three or more points, highlighted by a one-goal, three-assist effort against the Regina Pats in December. The North Vancouver, B.C. skater added four points (2G-2A) in eight playoff games and appeared in all three matches for Kelowna at the 2026 Memorial Cup. The 2024 third-round pick (82nd overall) signed his three-year, entry-level deal with the Sharks in May and is expected to join the AHL Barracuda in 2026-27.
Loading ...