Cam Robinson on Latest Sharks’ Draft & Trade Chatter, Has Confidence Misa Will Be No. 2 Pick

Cam Robinson on Latest Sharks’ Draft & Trade Chatter, Has Confidence Misa Will Be No. 2 Pick

welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now podcast I’m Shang Pang editor and chief of San Jose Hockey Now You can also find my work at NBC Sharks on Twitter Shang_pang and Blue Sky Shang Pang And I’m Kee Mcnal You find me on Twitter at half_hockey my website half-hockey.com or at San Jose Hockey Now uh this week we welcome back Cam Robinson uh which is going to be exciting But before that Shang we have a word from our sponsor of course Yes And let’s show our shirts off here Huh oh yeah I am the director of the Mac Attack Well Mac attack Attack Not Not quite good enough for the call there So we’ll talk about that in a second But anyway a word from our sponsor Bring hockey back Bring hockeyback.net Go to Bring Hockey Back for awesome custom hockey jerseys You want any kind of order for your adult team or for some kind of corporate kind of event go to bringhockeyback.net for your custom hockey jerseys But also too obviously the shirts that we’re wearing where I’m wearing a Mlin Celebr attack t-shirt Keegan has a director of vibes t-shirt I believe you can go to bring hockey back and still purchase these t-shirts If you go on there to buy the t-shirt to use the coupon code The coupon code is San Jose hockey now Once again it’s San Jose hockey now at bringhockeyback.net and save 15% Beautiful Love it While supplies last I’m sure they are selling many t-shirts That one’s really good Yeah I like that one a lot Um it looks good when it’s coming up the the camera Yeah director of vibes People may not understand it but you know it’s still a good shirt It’s also very clean very nice Um anyway yes Mac uh didn’t win the caller which we kind of knew isn’t going to happen I think the more interesting thing is Mac got third Not it was very close between second and third between Dustin Wolf who got second and Mac getting third But I just thought he was like a lock for number two I don’t know why I guess my San Jose brain Uh for what it’s worth and I think I mentioned this in earlier podcast just to get ahead of it because I think people expect because I covered the Sharks I would vote Masel rating number one for Calder and I did not I put a lot of weight into Lane Hudson first coming up really big to get the Canadians to the playoffs And also too a lot of people say “Oh Lane is just a power play specialist.” Lane played over 22 minutes a night and I believe he is the only defenseman to even come close to that kind of usage and so while he is not a sure he’s not a shutdown defenseman he’s 5’8 and whatnot that he does he does play tough minutes against tough competition at five on five you can’t do that if you’re playing 22 minutes a night and his ability to kind of control play is really important his ability to move the puck up so he is one of those guys that kind of fits into Eric Carl an argument of the best defense is to not play defense that much Yeah for sure But Lane is great at that though is the point though Lane is great at moving the puck across multiple zones gaining the zone all that kind of stuff And so all that accounted for me giving Lane Hudson my number one pick I’ll talk a little bit more about that I gota I got I got to write a little bit about that today But I thought that Mlin and Dustin Wolf was I think pretty interchangeable I mean I’m not I I did think Mlin would get number two but I’m not really surprised by Wolfe being number one Wol honestly might have won it if he had been able to lead the Flames to the playoffs and he was pretty close at that And so it was very very very close Wol had a tremendous season He was I think arguably the Flames MVP And they were very very close to the playoffs think they were surprised to be as good as they ended up being this year And I think a lot of that you credit to Wolfe You compare Wol’s numbers to his backups too And there’s a big difference between Wol and Vladar’s numbers and stats behind the same team And so that kind of suggests Wol’s value too So I thought it was really close between those two I gave it to Mlin To give Mlin his credit Mlin basically was the number one center on the worst team in the league which on one hand give gave him a lot of minutes that maybe he didn’t have to how do you say it um number one minutes that you can argue oh he wouldn’t have got on a better team Yeah probably not for sure But he was actually pretty good in those minutes I would say overall And he think I think he actually did he did put out a credible showing for a guy that was forced to be a number one center of a bad team So this is not a case where I felt like he was just benefiting from a bad team I think on a good team I think he could have been a 2C on a I for sure I I I I do feel strongly about this that he he was he’s good enough to be a 2C on a good playoff team And so he had an excellent season too And I’ve said this before too when we talked about this that don’t worry about the caller I think Mlin’s gonna have the best career out of all these guys That’s that’s that’s what really matters in the end Yeah And he still was the best forward right like he just going against a defenseman and a goalender who had exceptional seasons by any standards Um Lane had like record-breaking point totals and Yep you know it’s very rare for a guy like Wolf to come in like that and you know have as many wins as he does at his size and that he just had a great year And Mlin best forward probably the most important going forward although you could argue goalie is always the most important but um I think Mlin’s going to have like you said the most impactful career overall Not that those two guys won’t as well So I’m not mad I’m a little a little sad but not not I knew it was going to happen Yeah And that’s you can’t vote the Calder that way though It’s not it’s not you don’t you don’t get more credit if if you’re a younger guy like Mlin is You don’t get more credit if your team sucks more Yeah You don’t um it’s like the Crosby Ovuchkin debate like yes Crosby is like a different type of player and he and you know Ovuchkin won the Calder that year because Ovuchkin had a better year like yeah it is what it is you just vote who had the better year And also too this for me this is a big part of it If Lane Hudson put up those points but he was playing like 17 18 minutes a night and he was really the power play specialist that people want to say that he is then I would have voted Mlin ahead of him Mlin was playing 19 minutes a night as the Sharks number one center But much the same way as last year Brock Faber Brock Faber played 22 plus minutes a night He was the number one defenseman on the Minnesota Wild and he did provide more of a two-way game which I give more credit to than than Ela Hudson that I had I know Bard wanted last year but I had Hud I had Faber as my number one And so also considering the difficulty of position too for a young guy that I think a starting defense and I think you could argue starting goalender too is tougher number one center is is up there too but we all kind of agree we always talk about how difficult it is for defenseman to transition into his first season We’re talking about that We’re going to talk with Cam Robinson about that with Sam Dickinson And so that’s another another thing that personally in my vote that I’m consistent about And so I had FA So the same same token uh Faber over Bard last year And while Hudson season wasn’t quite as impressive even with the record points as Fabers for the record if all if the 2023 I’m sorry the 2024 and 2025 Calder classes were competing against each other Faber would still be my number one vote But I’d probably go like Faber one uh Hudson 2 Cbringy three Wolf four Bard five something like that Yeah But anyway though I think that’s that’s a big part of it too So I think uh look a little harder at the sat at the stats Look a little bit hard at the micro stats for Lane Hudson What do you want to just call him oh he just puts up points and he’s playing with better players than Mlin I mean the Canadians are a good team but they’re not exactly Yeah This isn’t the 77 Canadians he’s on So Lane Hudson was their best offensive defenseman by far That’s a credit to Lane That’s not a credit That’s not the credit to Cole Cawfield or Marty San Louie I think it’s interesting that the top six um five of the top six are players that are like under six feet tall or essentially six feet or under right they got like Mitchkov Celibbrini Smith Oh that’s right Yeah Lane Hudson The only one there is Cutter Goautier who got I think fifth Um he’s taller but like yeah just a bunch of short guys killing it Uh not short you know what I mean short kings short short I mean I’m as like hockey relative short yeah hockey relative short So anyway yeah it’s interesting it’s um there are still draft inefficiencies and that kind of somewhat proves it right Dustin Wolf is the seventh round pick Lane Hudson is a second round pick Yeah it’s okay it’s fair with with with Hudson and um and Wolf for sure Short defenseman short goalies are definite draft inefficiencies I don’t know if you can put the same argument with Smith and Zelbriny They were picks right yeah So Mitchkov was seven for one Yeah Mitch was seven and Mitchkov didn’t fall because of his height you know there’s other things So yeah Anyway just uh interesting to note when the because all of the talk everybody and this actually goes into our combine talk if you wanted to but everything is about how big a guy is and how much like sure how that 6’6 frame or that 6’4 frame or that how how a guy um appears because it’s the combine uh is going to play into their NHL career And um then conversely guys that are shorter right Cameron Schmidt and um Ben Kindle guys who have a lot of skill but are tiny are you know getting pushed down the pages a little bit So there will be every year these guys that make it in the NHL despite their size every single year Of course Of course Try and find them if you’re interested in looking for them Anyway let’s talk about something uh more interesting Um always interesting free agent and trade talk Um the Sharks because they were active at the last year’s draft I don’t know if that’s the reason or just because there’s so many holes and so much money that the Sharks have um in cap space They’re in a lot of rumors for guys um at least peripherilally We’re not and obviously these are rumors Nothing is it’s hard to confirm things right now Right Right Right But they’re named there’s a lot of names out there and you’ve got a list of guys that you’ve heard You’ve got a list Yeah because there’s been a whole ton of trade rumors over the last week and I’m trying to parse out what’s uh who’s real who’s not Mhm Um and real for the Sharks by the way too and some of the parameters that I think the Sharks have have laid out and I believe is true even if there are some conflicting reports out there But as of now though I do tend to believe that the Sharks as Mike has stated and of course that doesn’t that’s not just because Mike says it doesn’t mean that it’s true But Mikeer has stated pretty clearly that that there isn’t really a appetite for long UFA contracts this summer that the Sharks aren’t quite there yet And so I think you can already rule out a a bunch of names for that reason Another reason you can rule out a bunch of names is that the team is making a trade that they probably are looking to get closer to a Stanley Cup than farther And the Sharks offer their main their main kind of war chest right is obviously obviously not playoff caliber players that can help you win now Otherwise the Sharks would be winning now But it’s in futures The Sharks do have a ton of assets in that regard Draft picks and prospects and maybe not spare prospects but prospects that kind of duplicate each other The Sharks do have prospect depth and high-end prospect depth for sure And I guess it is possible that you can trade these draftics and and high-end prospects and those teams that want to win they can move they can use those assets to get the player they want So there yes that things like that are possible But in kind of a direct one for one trade for say a Jason Robertson for example that’s a name out there trying to throw one out there right that Dallas is trying to win a Stanley Cup Dallas is not trying to get farther from the Stanley Cup So that’s going to be a tough one um that there’s more likelihood of what they would call a hockey trade right than than a trade for uh one of these kind of trade assets that is sort of like hey we’re going to take your really good player for a bunch of prospects And so there’s not really a fit there also too And also another uh not fit besides okay so we talked about the Sharks war chest and also the Sharks not want to give out long contracts The Sharks also will be hardressed for an offer sheet uh to offer one this summer because well not only maybe the players aren’t worth it but also too the Sharks have to put in their 2026 first You have to put in your own first round pick in the offer sheets Yep And the Sharks I doubt are going to risk risk that for a for a RFA that’s out there They might do their their second and third round picks though right but they don’t have their third round pick right now they only need to require that So that’s a much lower end offer sheet but we’re talking about I think the the the first round threshold is I think it’s about 5 million or something like 5 million AAV for offer sheet That’s Andre Miller who we talked with Cam Robinson about that that’s not really in the cards with the Sharks because I mean you’re not gonna trade a chance a good chance for Gavin McKenna for no offense to KAR Miller who’s a good player but anyway so um I know I’ve been talking for a long time here but we established kind of the three parameters that kind of limit how the Sharks can improve themselves So I’m just going to toss out a bunch of names that I know Sharks fans will love to have on their team that are good players but I just don’t think will fit for different reasons So Mitch Mner number one Erin Eckblad Prover I’m going with the UFAS here right now I think Matthew Shane and John Dvarez I think that they’re looking to win That’s a sense that that that I feel And so I don’t know the Sharks will fit there Nikolai Eers I’m not sure if he is trying to quote unquote win a Stanley Cup next year but he’s going to be a guy again long-term contract here we’re talking right Sam Bennett same kind of thing Mhm Uh and then now we talk about some trade targets that are out there right which I again don’t don’t really see the fit and I could be wrong but Jason Robertson no Dobson I know that’s been a popular kind of fantasy trade target for the Sharks but looks like with Matthew Dar and UGM coming in doesn’t feel like the Islanders are trying to break it apart It would make sense if Islanders are trying to break it apart but I don’t think that they are Doesn’t sound doesn’t seem like it JJ Poterica the Sabres are trying to win and so that one’s a tough one Doesn’t sound like they want to trade him Yeah Uh Rasmus Doll I’m sorry Rasmus Anderson Mhm Uh let’s see Who else sam Gerard I think we we kind of heard out there right mason Marchman Um maybe Cap Casualty kind of thing right but and William Carlson’s one too that we’ve heard banied about But William I did check on this one because I mentioned it on the last podcast with Bill Hoppy that I did kind of hear a combine that name suggested but I will add to that though Sure Um he is a very good player but he is actually kind of a not a bargain but he’s a good value at 5.9 million AV over the next couple years So he’s not somebody that I would think Vegas is hungry to trade just for He’s still a very good player He’s a good two-way player He’s a good playoff player and he makes a reasonable amount of money So for playoff a playoff team that’s usually the kind of player that you try to keep So not seeing that And I checked in with a couple of uh with Vegas writers Sinbin those are my guys out there And it didn’t make sense to them So I’m not sure about that one So okay So I’ve given you a lot of bad news Sharks fans At least my my projections right now I’m writing more about this but here are a few names that maybe are a little more realistic but still going to be tough for different reasons So KA Andre Miller right is up there because he is very much in trade rumor He is very much available It sounds like Cam Robinson reported it Larry Brooks wrote more about it recently So that’s a lot of a lot of confirmation there But again though that the Rangers are trying to win now and so I don’t know the fit there Maybe they might take um uh a player that can help them now and and a high draft pick and the Sharks can offer that next year Not in terms of an offer sheet but they can put Edmonton’s first round pick next year in play So maybe Chris I’m sorry Bo Byum who we talked with Bill Hoppy about And with Bill at least we kind of concluded that the Sharks and the Sabres aren’t great trade partners just for that reason that the Sabres are trying to snap their 14 14 year playoff streak And so trading a good player like Byron who they are trying to trade and he’s not a great fit for them because they have they have a power and Dalan they’re uh on the power play and making a lot of money on their defense So he is available but do the Sharks have the assets that can help the Sabres now and I think that’s that’s a major question mark So there it’s a little more realistic target because we know for sure these guys are available But yeah um I think Granlin we mentioned a lot right free agency target And I did hear during the combine and LA Freeman did mention I I’ve heard I think other report I think I’ve I’ve seen it elsewhere too that Mhm that Dallas does want to bring him back I think that for Dallas it’s not just the on the ice play but it’s also Granland’s leadership in the room the resp the respect that he engenders especially among the many Fins on the team If you look at Granland’s career track I mean he was a celebrity in Finland when he came out with the Wild So he he’s very very very I mean respected by all all hockey people but uh especially among the Fins and that’s a very serious contingent for the stars obviously between Ratn and Hints and Heistan So that’s actually I could there is there is something behind that I’m not sure if they would throw Robertson overboard for Granland That really doesn’t make a lot of sense for sense to me especially if they’re trying to win now I think it could be more like they will try to sign Granlin and then they’re going to try to throw Robertson and other pieces overboard So they can make a pitch for Marner That makes sense That that is a that’s making your team better that way So um but there’s a little more if if Grantland does make it a free agency Like I said everything I reported I think I still stand by that he was willing to sign a shorter term deal with the Sharks probably higher AAV that he liked staying with the Sharks And so I think that can still happen if he hits free agency but we don’t know if he will And um let’s see a couple other guys Chris Krider he has a couple two years left at 6.5 million AAV his production is dropping even though he still did chop top 22 or top 28 goals last year and so there might be something there though I think Krider still has trade value though and Crider does have a 15 team no trade list and chances are the Sharks are on there I don’t know that for a fact but chances are and so Chris Drury and Mike R will not be able to do the Barkley Gadro waiverwire route I would suspect I think that if they really wanted to move prior that they can get not a lot but they can get something for him And the last guy and then I’ll let you jump in here So sorry I’ve been talking for a while Yeah Is Nick Hey And Nick Heg Vegas trying to clear cap space He’s a guy that has some kind of maybe upside because he hasn’t been used in a top four role by the Golden Knights and he he might have that ability and so I think he could be a good target for for the Sharks there So anyway um yeah couple couple names jump off that list I think the you’re right about the Keandre Miller thing I think an offer sheet it’s not going to work out There’s just they’re not going to do the first round pick and it’s too much money But an offer sheet for like Nick Hey could work because Vegas isn’t always in a cap crunch no matter what Like they get out of it but they are always in it That’s what happened last year with Edmonton and they got Broberg right they didn’t uh well they gave a like Broer Broberg was not worth $4.6 million right but they gave it to him because they hope that he will become that and he had a good year So that’s something that you could think about with Nick Heg as well like do you give him $4.6 million even though Nick Heg may not be worth $4.6 million because you can afford it and because Vegas probably won’t match that and you give Vegas your second round pick instead So that’s something that if you really liked Nick Heg and I like him he’s a big um sturdy defenseman Um but and you’re right like I think him being behind a bunch of good guys for so long means that on the Sharks he’s going to get more minutes than he’s been used to And maybe there’s something there and he can actually um develop into a $4.6 million defenseman But that would be my an interesting interesting opportunity Just to remind people the the thresholds for the offer sheets this year 4.688 a million to seven million basically AAV that might be the K Kandre Miller area and that is your first round pick next year and your third round pick next year Yep So that’s those two things are the Sharks don’t want to offer and that’s the the third round pick they don’t have to offer Yeah But Keegan Yeah you you you hit uh the perfect place So Nick Heg might be the the next tier is 2.34 million AEV to 4.68 and that’s your second round pick next year which the Sharks do have So yeah and Nick Heg was making 2.2 for the last three seasons So he’s basically getting double his money and he would sign that I imagine unless he really really wants to be in Vegas for whatever reason you know they win cups and such Who cares yeah um and then he takes a haircut but I think he’s probably looking for a bigger and this is his last year before Easy UFA So it’s um it’s you know or they just trade for him outright I think he’s one of those guys that classic Vegas style that they do trade for something um and then they trade that something for another player that’s going to help them win So that’s a good question I should check on if Nick Hey is worth more than a second round pick because in that case then yeah a trade might make sense though Vegas though they just uh we just saw though that that Peter Angelo that there’s some concern over his his long-term kind of or his playing future next year and so maybe they keep then is maybe they they need they need to Yeah I feel like he he’s been so you know durable and so omnipresent for so long but yeah he’s old He’s 35 Yeah On the flip side though actually though maybe that actually makes Vegas players for a guy like Equad who I know a lot of Sharks fans would like and has has done a great job for the Panthers the last couple years But you know what that’s one of those things where if Holder can’t sign him and if you’re Vegas if you can’t beat him if you can’t beat the Panthers then join him kind of Yep So that that actually could make a lot of sense So maybe maybe that’s that’s how the Perangelo if Peter Angelo goes into LTI or something that that could that could be that could be the situation there And then he’s magically healthy for the playoffs Anyway I’m just joking The Vegas way Um yeah I think in the Candre Miller I think it would be a trade but maybe they want you know they’d want like Ferraro probably from our defense plus a lot of stuff because you know Keandre’s got a higher offensive ceiling than Ferraro but they still need a player to come back to eat the minutes that Keandre would be losing So Right Right No Farrell could be a positive piece in there I don’t know if he’d be the centerpiece but I could see that though that that you can have a guy that comes in and and eats some of the minutes but then you free up some money to spend it better elsewhere on somebody out there that you like more Yeah And you get an asset to Right Help the system out in the future right yeah Oh that’s a possibility It’s just we’d have to talk with Rangers guys about that one Mhm It’s interesting because like he’s out there so somebody’s probably like every year there’s like a couple of these names that if they’re out there they’re going to get traded and seems like Hey and Candre Miller are those two guys so far I mean Ferraro and the Edmonton pick next year that that could be a start to something maybe Yeah For for for Miller because I think Ferraro is probably worth more than that third round pick at least So it’s a gamble right you got to um cuz you still have to sign Kandre Milly to a probably big contract and he’s got to play up to that contract too right which we don’t know There’s I mean we got to be honest too There’s a reason why the Rangers are looking to give up a what 25 year old defenseman that has all the tools in the world supposedly but who hasn’t quite put it together and the Rangers are trying to win now So you have to kind of look at okay there’s reasons why the the Rangers obviously kind of faltered last year and how much was Miller a part of that Yeah we get we get we get Heg and Miller and we just have a defenseman a defense full of trees right we’ve got Madulan Heg Kandre That would be kind of fun No righthanders and I mixed them No righthanders No Yeah I think Nick Hey’s a left-hander Yeah he is Okay he’s lefty Kandre Miller’s lefty Mukban’s lefty Although he plays right sometimes so plays on the right side I mean yeah And then we have Vinnie de Harne who’s another He’s a Redwood He’s even bigger Right Right Right Right Right Right I mean that that wouldn’t be the worst kind of Yeah bridge defense for the Sharks that until you can get the uh the real top scorers Yeah Until until until you can get Dickinson worked in and whoever else they have coming up But Yeah Yeah Yeah There’s at least options for my career to improve the D I’m Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah There there are there are And with four like well eight picks in the next two years in the top two rounds like options there too Yeah He He Miller are kind of like the age you like to in terms of they might be able to grow with with Mlin also Um I think you’re kind of looking for guys in that age range that can grow with Mlin or if you’re looking for a short-term like Randlin guys that you know are good in the room great examples and you give them a lot of money for a couple of years and you don’t you don’t worry about that because because of of how the how the cap is growing And so that’s kind of that’s kind of the sweet spot of guys that that that we’re we’re looking at talking about here for the most part Yeah And then if there is like a Starwinger available like Purka or Robertson or whatever that is you know coming into that age range as well maybe you look at him but I don’t think that that’s like the Sharks main target So I don’t think that they’re going to be the ones to swing at that right like right they have a bigger need on the back end than they It’s also the trade fit too right like we talked about like if Dallas was looking to break it apart Yeah Then the Sharks would be more than competitive for Jason Robertson Yep If all the Stars were looking for was to to start start over but obviously the Stars aren’t looking for that And the Sabres are just looking to start Yeah Right They haven’t even Yeah So I think I think Yeah I think trade fit is a lot of it Cam Robinson talks about it with the Rangers too that even though the Rangers do look like a team that is headed the wrong way obviously missing the playoffs last year but the Rangers spent a lot to acquire JT Miller last year So I don’t think that they’re ready to to break it apart It could be a situation if we’re really talking about this in the future and I think we probably should This is very speculative but like a team like Vancouver and and not not this summer but in a year or two if if Quinn Hughes is headed out they might be like “Okay you know we we’ve run the course with this this Hughes Patterson thing.” And so then you could sort of pick apart their talent in in a in a re you know it’ll be the reverse where they might be rebuilding and the Sharks can take advantage of it but not necessarily for Quinn Hughes because he’s probably going to New Jersey but other guys on on the Conucks But that’s kind of example of like where the Sharks assets could could fit a trade But at the moment though I’m not really seeing that though Okay Yeah it’s um it’s tough the the buying the partners are um are slim like all the rebuilding teams have sold off their their things right like yeah I think for the most part Chicago us you know like Anaheim’s building not not selling there’s not a lot of active rebuilding in terms of selling off the assets like it happened the past past couple of years but it’s not and it was mostly us Chicago and all those teams but like Seattle might be a team if things don’t go right for them this season that maybe they start to break it like so there things can happen by mid-season next year trade deadline next year or next off season maybe that’s the time where the Sharks can kind of put these chips in play the the many many ships that Michael career has accumulated but I’m not sure if this summer yeah I don’t I don’t see I can’t think of a team that has assets that’s actively trying to break it apart at this moment yeah which is strange It’s um is weird huh yeah Now I think about it Well looking through I’m I’m looking at every single team and every team’s like “We want to get better We want to get better.” Yeah They And they seem close enough right where they like even the Kings right they’ve lost in the first round over four straight years You might think that would be a team that would be like “Hey time time to break it up a little bit but no they just hired Ken Holland and they seem like favorites for Mitch Martner.” So they might need to clear some cap space for Martner So that’s where maybe you can take advantage and swoop in on somebody So that could happen But but not in a classic rebuild sense Lord knows what Philadelphia is doing but it’s whatever they’re like I don’t know what that but they have three first round picks this year So you know like they’re looking to build and draft They’re they’re not selling I don’t think right now And right even the guys they have there I don’t think the Sharks are that interested So well they’d be interested in connecting maybe for sure Yeah Yeah But I think he Yeah It’s it’s a weird time in the NHL There’s not a lot of true like rebuild selling off teams right now Anyway just an interesting observation Mhm Um any any um we’re going to talk about obviously the free agency and trade throughout the whole summer So we’re going to have many more shows about that everybody Don’t you don’t you worry These were just some pre-combine stuff that was out there Yeah Or now there is a lot on sort of the hot stove right now But yep for the Sharks though I’m not Again I think I think we’re trying to deduce what makes sense for the Sharks though Any other combine gossip we talked about it last week that you had um shared some insights but um anything else specifically from the combine well I think we’ll get to it with Cam in a little bit but I actually wanted to get your thoughts on some of the things that that we’ve been hearing Scott Wheeler put out that he while he still thinks the Sharks will pick Misa that Caleb Daniel is some a name that he’s heard that don’t rule him out at number two I’ve also I I mentioned that I wouldn’t rule out Antoine Fondell That’s that’s a little bit of what I’ve heard But Scott seemed pretty pretty strong about DUA in terms of just uh that pos well I shouldn’t say strong He still thinks it’s going to be Misa But what are your thoughts on on either of those guys Denuay or Fondell and just to preview guys too King is not going to give it away King is still going to put out his draft rankings I think next week But anyway your thoughts on those two in particular though Yeah Um I think it I would not enjoy that at all I think um I think Mis is a better player than both of them and a more fitting player for the Shark system Mhm Like Dway is going to be like a center and he’s going to be a good hockey player and I know there’s a lot of fans of him I just I don’t think that the the absolute skill level is is all there in terms of offensive production with him as as it is with Misa Misa it seems like the game and it does for Dana too game comes very very easily offensively but in a way that’s a little bit more than than Denoi Denoi is also playing in the queue and watching and evaluating the Q is like watching and evaluating the MHL They’re not entirely equivalent but I always like Yeah that’s pretty rough Yeah Yeah They’re not entirely equivalent but I always like unless there is absolute specialness Like I it’s you get you fall into this trap every time like the MHL and the QMJHL are just not amazing leagues and I don’t see the absolute specialness with the but I could be wrong It’s me my opinion Um like you watch guys like like Mitchkov or you know in the in the NHL and it was like he’s not even like he’s playing a different sport than them and that’s not what I’m seeing with Caleb in the queue He’s not playing a different sport He’s just dominating the sport Yeah Um so but he’s still going to go top five top six He’s got a lot of other tools and he he’s going to be a center at the next level very likely So this draft has an abundance of centers which is rare for a draft and makes it um guys like Porter Mone and Ecklund likely to fall in a way that is interesting um if you’re looking for just a super super super good wingers rather than centers because I think Jake O’Brien um Fondell Dana Way Hagens you know Misa they’re going to push all of these guys down um or at least a lot of them So there’s going to be value to be had The Sharks just don’t have the seven to 13 range pick this year which is kind of I say seven to 10 range probably uh that they could use to get a second really really good piece I think after that 10 range it starts to get a little bit hairy and you’re getting good guys good players but not like this guy could hit and transform a line So Right Right right right right I I like Fondell too but I I still I don’t like Fondell could he’s he’s physically developed He’s playing in a men’s league already so it is there’s a lot there but I just don’t see the um the like the transition ability the puck carrying ability the ability to push play He he’s a he seems to me to be a more read and react to what’s going on around him player than a push play player And he will he’s very inconsistent too So most of his season he wasn’t very good Then he was very good for two months and then he started to fall off again at the end So he’s young he’s physically ready but not I don’t think his overall game isn’t ready Like Misa we talked about it with Cam Maybe he could like he’s probably going to do NCAA but if you wanted to put him in the NHL he might be able to but I just don’t know um how much of an impact Fondell would have in the NHL But that’s just my opinion You know one thing I just was thinking about and this is not anything that anybody’s reported but this is just putting together different reports that people have had like Cam mentioned that the Blackhawks might want to leaprog the Sharks at at number two so they can get Misa basically make a trade with the Islanders so they can get Misa number one Yeah If the Blackhawks like Misa so much and if the Sharks like Misa but maybe not as much as as uh to that that that that they need to pick him they might like they might have Rondell or Denoa or Martone or somebody closer up there What kind of trade do you think the Blackhawks could make that was reasonable that you think could sway the Sharks probably not Cinsky plus right because that’s he’s the guy that’s kind of his star has fallen a little bit But I mean it’s they really like loved Fondell or or Dana way and they still were set on a center Um or they love the Sharks right yeah Yeah The Sharks and or they love Marton so much that they were like doesn’t matter we’re going to pick him but it seems like they like Misa so much So I I but I would I mean Kchinsky plus something maybe that would be a that would be enough for you though Yeah Kchin three then the number three pick and Kchinsky for number two because like I said Kchinsky star has fallen a little bit I uh I’d have to think about it Okay Um you would do the other guys though right the Renzel I guess Renzel’s probably Renzel or Classic would be the next right leov is probably too high to to to do that I I think about it but I I honestly just even this conversation we’ve had I think there’s better ways to improve the defense than trying to get Kchinsky So I don’t know How about how about Renzel or maybe Renzel renzel would be a cool one cuz he he does fit a need in the Sharks like a lot Um and then you still get guys like they’re still going to be a good player at three And I love Porto Martone so I would just pick Porto Marone Yeah I I don’t know if Chicago would make that trade Uh Renzel and a number three for number two but it just depends on how much do they like Nissa Yeah And you and you change your your philosophy because then you kind of you put Will Smith and Will Smith’s going to be a center at that point like Well no there’s always next year with Gavin McKenna So true Good point Doesn’t matter It happens Um yeah So but you change your philosophy I think because if you’re getting Misa then your high skill winger becomes Will Smith If you’re getting Porto Martone your center is Will Smith and your high skill winger is Martone So maybe maybe Yeah Yeah You change your philosophy Yeah Like the a high skilled wing right you still need like three other ones to round it out We we got Ekkan too but you still need probably a first line left wing and a top two right wing to complement it all So do you have any other impressions of the of the combine yourself i mean you asked at the beginning just other stuff that I that I heard Yeah Um I think I probably reported most of the stuff that that I’ve heard Um it’s interesting that I mentioned William Carlson last week and it’s kind of become a thing Uh James Myrtle talked about it and then Elliot Freeman though Freeman poo pooed it for the same reasons that I just did that Carlson’s good player on a good contract So that actually doesn’t make a lot of sense So if if he he he would not be the the guy that you would want most want to move if you’re Vegas I I guess is is the right way to say it But anyway though I guess the other thing we should mention is like Misa did not finish in the top like 25 of any of the physical fitness tests Oh I don’t know if that I guess that’s news but I don’t know if that’s that important Um Mlin did do better last year but he wasn’t exactly except for the V2 Max which is I think uh considered a little more important one but that’s that’s also been like consistently a Shark staple is the V2 Max like that is a uh a drafting staple for the Sharks for a long time has it been yeah Yeah Josh Norris and and and everything too Well there was actually really cool thing that that angel.com did put out They put out all the I guess the top 20 to or top 30 uh fitness results over the history of the combine And you look at that Josh Norris killed it He’s the one guy that absolutely killed it Um which is it’s amazing because he can’t stay healthy and he’s killed the combine But but it is interesting just how good Norris was uh historically uh for combine results and uh I I put it together other guys who who other sharks names that you’ll see uh in this kind of top the history of fitness results for the combine You’ll see Artame Kenyazv who did not turn out to be much No Greor who had angel career but obviously didn’t uh didn’t hasn’t had a a great one Uh Brandon Sabota and Michael Fischer So those are other Sharks picks that that I I you see in this AHL.com compilation that is linked at San Jose Hockey Now it’s an article that my writer Felicia Keller wrote How did Misa fare in the 2025 draft combine fitness testing but you see Josh Josh Norris is in the top of like that’s one of the all-time great Yeah combiner because he’s was wellrounded He didn’t just like wasn’t top 25 in just one category It was in multiple categories So very impressive Yeah Um I think also Miracle Mueller had like a great V2 max if I remember right I don’t know if he’s on that He might have been He’s not on the the all time but yeah Um so yeah it’s interesting It doesn’t mean anything It’s he still did he it’s not like he famously can’t do a push-up Michael Nissa or whatever or pull up I mean Sam Bennett right yeah Yeah Like the Sam Bennett thing Um so it’s it’s nothing like that It’s just it’s interesting because you think maybe that there would be something It just show kind of shows you that a lot of Misa’s game isn’t like the tools It’s just he’s a smart player and he just gets it He gets it on the ice and things look easy to Michael Misa They’ve looked easy the entire year So um doesn’t mean it’s going to look easy next year and he does It’s not like he’s not a hard worker He absolutely is on the ice It’s just um that’s just the kind of game that he has and people have seen that and have questioned like oh this guy going one overall when it’s not like the the physical tools are the best or like anything like that Um but that’s just his game He’s just a faster Logan Couture Oh yeah I mean this feels like a time when teams are really just picking pick or not teams I’m sorry pundits fans that are picking apart these combine results and whatnot but I don’t know how much it means for the teams in in the end Yeah Yeah Absolutely The teams have been building their list the whole year They’ve been interviewing the players the whole year They’ve been talking to players taking them out to lunches and dinners the whole year Not like the not like the entire front office like at the combine but the area scout will have taken a Michael Misa out or a Ben Kevin or you know I’m talking a couple of prospects who are lower down the list right um those guys have been discussed picked apart all year by the team So I just did an article about that with Chris Mhouse He’s the director of amateur scouting for the Sharks And he talks about how yeah if you’re making your decisions off the combine then you’re not doing your job Just like if you’re making your decisions off of World Junior Championships you’re not doing your job That it’s about the body of work And the teams have considered that The scouts have considered that Brady Martin Oh man Brady Martin I could not I could you can’t read an article without hearing about Brady Martin which is hilarious to me He’s this year’s what was it cutter go came up out of nowhere Um not not out of nowhere out of nowhere but like oh this guy’s going top five It’s Oh I’m excited to hear where what what where Brady is on your list Now this isn’t Keegan’s mo Don’t tell you don’t have to tell us but this isn’t this isn’t Keegan’s mock drop by the way That’s not who he thinks teams will pick It’s his putting it out there rankings his half-wall hockey picks It’s the thing that uh I use when I do the draft like when I go when he picks along Yep Yep Which three of the four Calder uh trophy uh finalists were half wall hockey sharks So Oh were they really oh yeah Dustin Mitchkov Hudson and and Cabbrini Oh okay Yeah I get to pick the same one as the sharks sometimes And Cabbrini was like the easy one That’s like 100% But you know what uh let’s give you credit though that you’ve always loved Wolf I think I asked you Yep point blank last summer before Wolf had proven himself Would you give up a first round pick not obviously not the number one pick but pro you know what I think it was the Pittsburgh pick that p that became Sam Dickinson I don’t know if you would give up Sam Dickinson for Dustin Wolf but it was the number 14 pick at the time though It was before the Sharks had traded up for it and traded up with P with uh Buffalo for um for number 11 But I asked you point blank at some point maybe during a mailbag like would you trade number 14 Pittsburgh for Dustin Wolf and you said yes 100% And that was before we got Askar off obviously Yeah of course Of course And you you did also ask me which what was the best goalie prospect and I did answer Wolf between Asarov Wat and Wolf and that was like a year or so ago Yes And Wol is great and Ascar’s great too So it’s not like they’re they’re both going to be good goalies um just it’s harder to bet on Wolf right because he’s so small right and House is so physically gifted and the perfect size So um but yeah Wolf yeah even surprised me this year Like I thought he would do worse because they they didn’t give him like a good backup They didn’t give him a system They traded Markstrom I was like I’m not I’m not to entirely sold but he did way better than I thought he would I’m really excited to see the half-wall hockey track record in a couple years I talked again the conversation with Chris Mhouse He says that in his opinion you know you got to give it five years from the draft to really really be kind of fairly sure about about what happened So that’s for the Sharks This is 20 that’ll be the 2020 draft And so that’s kind of I think you started this in 2022 you said or Yeah 22 So I’m very curious about 2027 At this point we may see enough of track record that Keegan may be maybe the GM of the Sharks and I may be begging Keegan to come on the show Very unlikely Um no It’s I’ve been hitting on a lot of the top picks the and I’ve got some guys that are cooking still but I do need a few more late round picks for me to be like “Okay maybe maybe I’ve got uh some sort of idea of what I’m doing because like there’s still there’s guys that are doing well as late round picks but I need them to really come in as like uh you stole that guy you know?” Right Right Right Right Right We’ll see a couple years Yeah We’ll see Yeah but I think I I plan on doing it for at least five years total Um to see what that team would shake out as as a fiveyear gap of uh drafting a team but we’ll see Honestly you should just keep doing it I mean I think so far the results have been encouraging at least It’s not like it’s not like you’re you’re striking out consistently No you’re I mean yeah this was all and I want to like also preface that the person who did this first was Scouch So Scouch did this from 2015 all the way on and he still does it every year Um so I stole that idea completely from Scouch I want everybody to know that How is he how’s he doing with it i mean in terms of his track record at some at some point when I started doing it he had claimed that he had more NHL games by his picks than any team other than I think it was New Jersey So if you go by NHL games that he was doing very well very well right at the time I think that was in 2021 but I don’t know how it’s been since then Okay He said um a few I don’t know what he picked on and then Toronto’s not picking a lot right because he picks Toronto So he always picks Toronto Oh okay Okay So well that’s a good test though right yeah Like imagine if you were doing the Sharks picks from the last you know last like uh last five years of the Doug Jr regime You have like the 2019 year the Artameaz year which has been a bust for the Sharks but their highest pick was 48 that year I think they only had like five picks that year So that would have that would have been a very tough one to to hit on But if you hit on that then that’s that’s that’s sort of hey that’s on your track record That’s sort of like a pelt Well and he also started it um when Toronto was rebuilding right i think he picked Austin Matthews for like his first ever So like it’s the same I’m starting the same time frame as when he started it basically because then eventually the Sharks will have less picks They’re gonna have no picks in the first round So yeah Well excited to for our 2027 podcast and revisiting the Yeah I’ll make a whole team hopefully That’s also the goal It’s like the depth is it’s hard to fill out like I mean but it’s only been three years so still got some time Yeah All right y’all I hope you enjoy the interview with Cam Robinson It is excellent as always He’s a great guest and lots of lots of fun interesting tidbits on the combine Lots of gossip Just perfect time of year for hot combine goss Hot combine goss All right y’all See you guys Have a good week Bye Cam Robinson is the content director and director of film scouting for Elite Prospects You can find him at hockey Robinson on Twitter or subscribe to him on Elite Prospects Premium to read all of his combine and draft stories But we assume that Cam is a busy man during draft season with Elite Prospects just releasing their draft guide He joins us today to talk about the upcoming draft the prospects in San Jose some trade rumors which we’re excited to get to talk about So welcome back to the show Cam Yeah thanks a lot Appreciate coming back on And one of the reasons why I wanted to have Cam on and it’s great to see who goes to the draft combine So I want to give a lot of credit to Cam I saw Cam Robinson there Chris Peters Corey Proman Scott Wheeler um Stephen Ellis Just want to shout out a few of the guys who are out there just so when you guys read their coverage you know that they were there on the ground And anyway Cam so the first thing I just wanted to ask you then just to kind of start off generally what did you hear if anything about the Sharks at the combine yeah Um so just just quickly on that group that you just mentioned there that’s like our roaming group throughout the year too we inevitably end up having dinners together in Finland or Sweden or Texas or Buffalo wherever we’re at So it’s it’s a good group that uh they definitely all put in the work for sure But um as far as San Jose you know I I reported some of it there I wrote about some of there as well It’s you know I know that I’d heard it was out there a little bit that San Jose maybe was kicking the tires on getting up to number one Obviously Matthew Schaefer makes more sense for the organization than a Michael Misa does but at the same time like the difference in value between the two is negligible I would say Um and so to spend the draft capital to move up that one spot even in this class you know it’s going to be expensive And so I don’t think it makes a ton of sense I’m sure that they did their due diligence and were just checking in to see what that cost would look like I don’t think the Islanders are looking to move back either I think that they would if it if it really made sense for them especially to slide back one spot and still get a really high-end player But um as you know from everything I’m hearing from people in the industry on the team side is that you know one and two are all but locked at this point Matty Schaefer is going to end up a New York Islander Michael Mis is going to end up a San Jose Shark Wow That’s uh kind of led straight into our next question which was this possible scenario of moving up to one which seems to be the um the combine buzz kind of uh hypothetical or even if the Blackhawks had jumped um San Jose Is is there any interest in that or anything you heard about that too so the movement at the top of the draft I do believe that Chicago has also inquired on what it would look like to get up to one not to get up to two necessarily Um although you know they could look at getting up to to two cuz their their target is Michael Misa right that he makes more sense to them than a Matthew Schaefer does after they to Levan off last year So again I don’t think the Islanders and Matthew Dar new GM there are is all that interested I think that it’s found money for them It’s this massive opportunity They you know super lucky to jump up to that spot Their pipeline needs a lot of work Why not just stay where you are and take the best player now at the same time I could I could you know make a proposal that would make sense for them for San Jose or for Chicago That would make a lot of sense for the Islanders I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense for San Jose or for Chicago The interesting one to really watch again it doesn’t really impact the Sharks but is Utah Is that um they also got extremely lucky to jump up to four I do think that they are very interested in making that pick I think they’re very very interested in Brady Martin Um I also think that they are open to trading that pick as well And I think that there might be maybe maybe just a little tom foolery going on there with how much they really like Brady Martin And maybe that is to encourage a team sitting behind them at 5678 that was hoping a guy like Brady Martin that specific player would be there for them and now they’re like oh no he’s going to go at four All reports are indicating Utah’s very very impressed with this kid which they should be Um maybe that’s going to be enough to get someone to bite and pay the freight that Utah’s looking for so they can go up there and get their man So just just a little something maybe to keep in mind That really interesting to me because that would imply that like Porter Marone would go after Brady Martin which is mind-blowing to me I didn’t I just didn’t consider it Marton’s really interesting because you know it this is kind of like 2017 that draft class where there’s a lot of centers at the top Um teams you know they they can’t help themselves but take guys down the middle and then someone’s going to reach on a defenseman in the top 10 outside of Schaefer right like that’s just inevitable It happens every single year Someone’s going to whether it’s HSN or it’s Murka or even Jackson Smith someone’s going to do that And so if Marone’s not going three to Chicago which I don’t think he is you know Yeah Does does he end up falling down the board behind those centers and maybe a deep and then all of a sudden he’s sitting there at seven eight nine which would be just tremendous value for somebody going back to the Islanders at number one though what kind of tom foolery love that word what kind of tom foolery were they looking for to move that number one pick not that you would know definitively but just like in general what kind of overpayment from either the Sharks or the Blackhawks do you think would make them say “Hey you know what we’ll we’ll give it up then.” You know again I don’t I don’t know I did like I put this out there on on a different program and I said you know for Chicago they’d be looking to give up number three they they have pick 25 I believe you know their early second as well whatever that is 34 and then a then a quality prospect so you’d be giving up you know you so the Islanders would be slipping back two spots they’d be getting another first a very early second and a good prospect so that’s what I mean where I could make a justification for the Islanders to move back into that spot and it would make a lot of sense and they’d still get a high-end prospect at three um but does it make a lot of sense for Chicago to do that or for the Sharks you know I I saw someone put out there like oh just give them Dickinson and two It’s like why would you do that right the value there just doesn’t make sense It makes sense for the Islanders right but it doesn’t make sense for the Sharks So I did have somebody like reach out to me on the team side and said like you’re not probably not far off on the value of what it would cost in this draft just to move up one or two spots into that one hole So you consider it like that an extra first a second whether that’s 2026 and then like a quality prospect Okay Well yeah I don’t know Sharks fans So so guys if you do want Matthew Schaefer Sharks fans that might be the cost the Dickinson or the 2026 number one which is your your entry into the Gavin McKenna sweep stakes So yeah maybe that’s going to be Yeah it’s going to be a little move 26 picks Don’t move that Don’t do it Yeah Yeah that’s that’s definitely a little bit tough Yeah I I thought that for such a move to happen it would have to be a situation where the Islanders knew that they weren’t going to pick Schaefer and so they’re just looking for some value to move off that number one pick But it sounds like the Islanders like Schaefer So let’s move on from Matthew Schaefer Oh the dream It’s dead Sorry guys Um if it is the Sharks and Misa at number two when does he need to make a decision about going to the NCAA route yeah it’s a very good question Um the whole situation around this is is yet to be made clear So even teams don’t understand exactly how this because traditionally right when you draft a player out of that’s going to college hockey out of the US program is that they have four years to sign them If you draft them out of the CHL you have two years to sign them So a player like Michael Misa obviously is being drafted out of the CHL but he might be playing in the NCAA next year and there’s a whole host of players like that right So um the new CBA is you know not quite done Um all indications point that it’s it’s gonna be done but that teams will have clarity And I I’ve been talking to the teams about this for a while now and they’re like “Yeah we’re supposed to know pretty soon We’re supposed to know pretty soon.” And it’s like it’s it’s June 10th right now right we are we are there is not much time here I think everybody two weeks out and I still don’t have my I still don’t even know if uh I my credential for the draft has been approved I don’t know about yours Cam No I don’t think I don’t think I got mine I got my I got I got approved for the hotel so I assume they’ll let me in the door I mean they’ll probably just be happy to have anybody covering it this year right but so I think everybody expects is that the new rules will be you get four years regardless of where where you take them Now whether when Misa needs to let them know where he’s going to play or the Sharks is that I fully expect especially with San Jose is that they’re they’re an organization that really values the the development that the NCA can bring I think that they’ve shown that with their drafting history and developing Um every team in the NCA would love to have Michael Misau play for them next year but traditionally their spots are filled already This year is a little unique because of the transition And so teams are leaving spots open We see as so many guys in the portal because basically teams are telling them like “Hey like you’re not going to have a spot here anymore We’re going to fill it up with CHL guys.” You know teams like Penn State and Michigan State and Michigan are like fully banking and like putting all their cards all their eggs in a basket to land Gavin McKenna So they’re holding out a ton of NIL money too So the longer Misa would wait to give that green light hey I’m going to go the fewer options he would have in at college right so it’s he could tell he could go up to BEu and be like hey I’m going to talk to San Jose and see what they want me to do maybe hold a spot right and and I reported months ago that I think Beu was like was really interested and provided a pretty nice framework to get Misa to commit to them but the the tremendous season that he had especially in the back half somehow he improved even more It really it it it illustrated that he’s not far away from being NHL ready Do I think do I think he should be in the NHL next season i don’t And I’m sorry Michael I love you And I think he thinks he should be there and I think he would be fine I just think same with Eddie Schaefer honestly especially with how young he is and all the time he missed I think both guys would be served well to go to college for one year add a little more maturity strength you know in the mind everything work on their skills play against older players in a tough environment in a fun environment in a new environment open their minds a little bit too and then step in at the end of the year be ready to roll But I mean obviously that’s going to be a decision that you know if it is San Jose that my career and then they’re going to come together with with Misa and his reps and his family and decide what’s best for him But if I’m betting money on it I’m thinking that they draft him and then you see him commit to a school early July The I had two things that just spawned from that in my brain that you just talked about One is like how much can this NIL money really compete with like an NHL ELC money it depends on I guess if you’re an AHL or NHL for a hockey player Like is it that much money or is it you know comparatively um and then the other one is what happens to the whole like NHL CHL AHL agreement right can like I like go to the NCAA for a year and then go to the AHL the year after Anyway whole bunch of can of worms happening here Yeah So as far as NIL money goes um it’s not football right and and and so guys aren’t getting rich off of this uh when you sign your NHL contract and if you don’t play in the NHL you get your $90,000 $95,000 signing bonus right then your contract slides So that’s all the money you’re getting Um all the money you’re getting Um if you go to school and you’re a player like Michael Misa I think you could very reasonably expect him to be making more than that signing bonus playing in college next year Now if he’s playing in the NHL then he’s making his 950K with bonuses potentially Obviously that’s going to be a lot more but teams aren’t mad Pardon me teams aren’t upset about waiting an extra year to pay a guy too to save that money Um Misa would have an opportunity to make some money at school None of these guys are going to be you know poor off They’re they’re all going to be rich They’re the money’s going to come So it’s a nice little bonus I talk about this with Gavin McKenna too It’s like yes there’s going to be a team that’s going to be able to offer him a few more dollars to play for them but for him it’s like does it really matter if I’m getting 25 grand more this year compared to what I’m going to make long term um now the whole CHL NHL agreement is again is just totally up in the air right now Is that because yes a player technically could go jump ship from the CHL even as a draft eligible play in the AHL and then go or the NCA then go to the AHL then go to the NHL And that is a route that is possible right now If they play their draft eligible season in the CHL right now then they cannot do that Even if they transition to college hockey as 18 then they can’t go But all this language is expected to be cleared up magically in the next 17 days I’m told Um so yeah we’ll see Yeah Well there is uh talk I’ve heard you probably heard the same thing and I think it was put out there too that a CBA might be coming soon even before the draft And so that might be all part of it What I wonder with all this too is that will this mean that Michael Misa if he does go the NCAA route will he have that leverage that NCAA draft picks have like Will Smith has exercised I think or cutter goier obviously I’m not going to sign with you trade me that kind of stuff like is that is he gonna that does that come part and parcel with with all this you think I mean everybody has that everybody has it the difference is is that when you’re a college player is that you had that uh don’t sign me or because I won’t play for I’m not going to sign with you I can just wait and become a UFA Whereas CHL players was like I’m not going to sign with you Now I’m back in the draft right and now now I’m also at the whims of whoever takes me again two years later Um so he’ll have the same benefit that he always had We’ll just see I think it’s just going to like I said I think it’s just going to be four years regardless And that’s just going to change everything So it’s like you draft a guy out of the CHL and he doesn’t want to sign with you Well he’s got to play four years of junior and or move around until he’s till he becomes a free agent And it’s the same thing if you go to school you just have to stay at school But none of these guys are going to do that because they’re too good They need to get into pro too quickly Well okay It sounds like then maybe the Sharks won’t get to see too much of Misa training camp Just I think a lot of fans would have looked forward to that and and been excited about that And I like you mentioned Michael sounded like he thinks he’s an NHL ready too But yeah maybe maybe next year But I want to ask too Cam um who your you seem pretty certain that it will be Misa number two Obviously things can change next couple weeks but do you have any sleepers if not Misa at number two i know Scott Wheeler mentioned Caleb Denuay I heard Anton Fondell at the combine as a possibility at number two Do you have any other or one of those two guys in your mind i I would be surprised if San Jose went with either of those players I think so I know I know that Scott Wheeler and Cory Promman that they they found at least one executive that said that they had Fondell as their top four in the draft I have yet to find one and I’ve pulled not all 32 teams but a good number of clubs and I’ve asked them you know who’s the top prospect in this class who’s the top forward in this class I’ve even asked specifically about Anton Frondell Um there are some teams that really like him and that do see him in that three to five three to six range And then there’s there’s organizations that see him view them as we do at Elite Prospects which is good player nice upside physically mature but maybe more destined for like you’re a pretty good second line center and not someone that you’re really going to jump the queue for So um if I if I wanted to put out a dark horse maybe it’s Porter Martone just because of the uniqueness of what he could potentially bring right he has the size he’s a playmaker off the wing arguably the top playmaker in the class and has a rocket of a shot um gets to the net can score dirty goals He doesn’t have that fire constantly burning but you might be able to ignite it And I and I’ve said this a couple times in different places is that he reminds me a little bit of a Todd Bertusi who was a finesse skilled player and junior but did jack up a lot of penalty just because he was so large but he drafted high and they expected him to be kind of a meat and potatoes you know throwing hands all the time and that’s was that wasn’t who he was So he came to Vancouver and he was unleashed offensively and then as he grew and matured then he started to become you know more of a beast and like the top power forward in the game and I think that Martone while not a traditional power forward right now could certainly develop into one with that silky playmaking the handles and the shot combination It’s very unique especially in this class So I also I don’t think he’s going number two to San Jose but if I was to draw one connection maybe that could be the guy Give us a percentage on Misa to the Sharks What do you think oh gosh I don’t know 85 85 is pretty good 85 85 Yeah Yeah So maybe we had like a little bit of uh Sharks fans can uh can hope for some chaos maybe But there’s always room for chaos right there’s always room for chaos on draft day Anything can happen Watch him trade the pick That would be a lot of fun Yeah Anything any um any thoughts on Sharklike players or or Mike Greer like picks at number 30 and 33 if they keep those two picks sharklike players Hey um I mean like it’s the draft boards are going to be so incredibly varied this year between team to team that it’s going to be nuts and and we hear it every year Some GM gets up to the podium be like “We can’t believe we got him there We can’t believe we got our guy at that spot.” And lots of times they’re just blowing smoke Um this time they’re going to be serious right this time they might get their eighth ranked player at 33 Like that could happen It’s going to be so crazy But is I I have I I have little insight into who that could be for them um you know a guy like Shane Vansagi So you know American guy playing college hockey big power forward probably better a bottom six guy but it’s like this guy’s going to play games for sure and he’s going to be heavy and he’s going to be a playoff performer and you’re adding some more meat to a lineup that has a lot of skill already Um so so someone like that kind of jumps out to me You know Jacob Romach really like 6’6 defenseman one of the best retrieval guys in the draft kind of unheralded a little bit for most of the year and now people are starting to get him on the radar a little bit I think he’s an early day two guy um that just add more depth They wanted a defenseman right and Matt Schaer he is not Matt Schaefer but um but maybe a kid like Cameron Reed slips who’s just six foot great skater has offense has intelligence Um I think with that with that IQ could be could be a really interesting player on like a second pairing just add more depth and more playmaking and and transition work to a blue line core Um yeah there there’s going to be a ton of options for those early picks on day two I like Von Sagi He had a great quote uh during his postcombine fitness interview Uh I think maybe I asked him just about his style of game and how it could kind of fit what the Sharks want and he just said “I play one way I play one way only.” Yes he does Hard Hey Yeah Yeah He’s a big boy too Yeah Want to ask you too about Sharks uh current Sharks kind of prospects or or people in the Shark system Last year we had you on and you weren’t the highest on Will Smith last year and I admire you I give you props for coming back on Cam because Cam never shies away from hey I might have been a little wrong or I might have been very wrong or hey I was right But Cam will will be there He’ll he’ll step up and and talk about it if if something goes not quite his way So anyway so let me ask you now then So did Will Smith change your mind in the second half of this season will Smith has been changing my mind little by little for a while now I’ll say Um and but yes absolutely The second half of the season I you know I will I’ll blame some people on the team side too who who who will sometimes I just mean like I’m I’m constantly talking It’s fair It’s fair It’s fair right i’m constantly talking with smart people um who’ve been doing this longer than I have And and you know I I don’t take their word as as gospel but it will you know it always buries in and I look at things from when they’re saying “Look at it.” And you know I I I just kept waiting for him to hit a wall right it was very easy for him at the program at the U8 level And I was like it’s it’s it’s not going to be as easy for him at college He’s going to it’s going to be nope The pros and it’s not going to be And we saw at the beginning of the year there was right and as there should have been right as there should have been It’s it’s a big jump up Um but I thought he managed it very well and and we saw the back half of the season the creativity you know the confidence with the puck the calmness with the puck started to show itself again something that we saw at every other level And it’s like man this is going to be easy for him at this level too And and and that’s basically all I need to see And if they do land Michael Misa here you have Celibbrini who is just an absolute stud at one and then Misa who will also be a stud at two And now you move Smith over to the wing You free him up to create less defensive responsibility You get someone who can finish on the other side It’s like now you’re cooking right that’s that that your second line could be dynamite or your first line whichever you want to do how you want to mix and match them too So um no I I think I think Will Smith has has proven myself and and others wrong at at kind of every turn And cheers to him man I was always rooting for the kid I’ll give him his flowers And heck of a player very creative I just was waiting for the time when that kind of free flowing offensive scheme would would be harder to institutionalize and he is he’s finding a way at every level Yeah And definitely um in your kind of defense too because I work in the same way like we go to a lot of scouts team people people with I mean you know combined hundreds of years of of professional hockey experience and they tell you something and you have to weigh it and you have to consider it You can’t just say “Oh I see something.” Um and so sometimes they’re wrong too Obviously Um obviously if if every guy was right then every guy would be winning Stanley Cups every year And of course only one team wins it a year So yeah So no definitely And props to you for just admitting flat out saying “Hey maybe I was a little off about the guy.” Where do you see uh Will’s kind of ceiling and development right now at this point like his ceiling is is super super high right especially if you can get him get free him up offensively too because that’s what you’re going to pay him for right you don’t need him to be that two-way horse like Celrini is going to be Um and so you know I don’t think it’s out of the question to to think that this kid could have 90 point seasons in his future like you know like with heavy heavy assist totals Um he has a good shot too but it’s just he’s he obviously prefers the pass and the creation first and foremost So yeah I know Like if if he went out there and put up a a 30 60 year like I wouldn’t blink in in in the middle of his 20s in the kind of the peak of his career Yeah We’ll have to see what the how the Sharks transform from being let’s call it a bad team to a good team like because there’s a little bit of less defensive responsibility when your team is god awful Anyway it’s going to be good though They got so many so many talented players coming up and I think that they’ll have the cap space too as it goes up that they can then you know infuse some veteran talent go out and overpay for somebody on the market when it’s time And that’s just kind of how you do it You raise your your kids slowly you get them to a point and then you’re like “Okay we’ll overpay this guy that’s going to put us over the hump and have that experience and leadership and come in and be a big game player.” And it’s going to be fun It’s it’s been some tough years in San Jose but good times are coming Yeah any um any other prospects that you um want to shout out from the San Jose system um we’ve got like Musty Sha Dickson Halton anybody that caught your eye this year I mean Halton’s can that kid ever shoot the puck hey holy moly And like that’s not new But uh but it has just continued to get it just explodes off his stick Like he’s going to score goals in the NHL You know he’s he’s not a perfect player by any means He’s not the fleetest of foot He’s not the most defensively responsible player but he can score goals He knows how to get into spots He knows how to unleash it quickly and that is going to serve him very very well Whether that’s on a second power play unit right you know load him up with offensive zone starts He’s going to need a little bit more time Um but he but he’s he’s got a chance to be an asset Dickinson you know not the highest on his brain I I’m still not the highest on his brain but I think that he this year took another step forward defensively which is a great sign Great sign right excellent sign for it He’s a big body He can skate He knows how to create offense and now he’s starting to focus a little more on that defensive side of the thing the physicality Um fun guy too right fun guy to deal with And so I don’t think he’s your like traditional number one that you want to roll out there for 28 minutes a night But if you can get someone ahead of him and he can be your number two and maybe that’s maybe that’s on a first pair or maybe that’s like the driver on the second pair and now you can match up as you see fit against the the best teams offensive with your with your top pair guy and let him run around a little bit more Um but you know at the same time like Evan Buchard has suffered from the same things a former London Knight right he was shooting the puck a ton and getting lots of points but not not a he was wasn’t a great skater either Um where Dickinson can certainly move The physical tools on Dickinson are through the roof Um so yeah so I think that the future’s really bright for him too Um do you think that Dickinson plays the entire season with the Sharks next year obviously Dickinson has signed his ELC so it’s either the CHL or NHL for him next year Yeah it’s that’s a tough spot for him Uh it’s that I hate that I hate that spot too because what do you do what do you send him back to London to do right Overplay 38 minutes you know a night and and what right like Right And then but then like completely destroy any of his pace and we see that when guys play too heavy of a minutes They have to pace themselves and so then all of a sudden now they’re not now they’re not ready for the NHL game So I think you do have them in San Jose for the year and that’s in and out of the lineup right that’s that’s in and out of the lineup Maybe get him down there for a little conditioning stint down to the barracuda for a bit Get a little look down there Get that pace of play up Shelter him a little bit Give him opportunities Pull him out Pull him out Pull him out you know and just have him watching from the sky and working with the training staff and the coaching staff and everybody and and maybe he’ll surprise me Maybe he’ll end up playing 80 games for the Sharks next year and look fine in kind of a third pair role But yeah you have that opportunity to you know just massage him in when it works for you rather than I’m not going to say stunting his development going back to the OHL But it I don’t think it would be it’d be great for him to take any steps forward Well Cam really appreciate your time here We just we’re going to finish up with just a little bit about um trade uh trade goss from the combine and things that you heard and things that might work for the Sharks you reported that Keandre Miller was available and what do you think the Rangers will want for him um the Sharks as Trey Parkers I’m not sure about the fit there For one thing the Sharks won’t offer Sheet them I doubt it at least because that means putting their 2026 first in play but anyway what do you think the the Rangers will want for him well they’ll want more than a first and a third late first and a third I can tell you that much because I think I think teams right and teams are absolutely weighing that option is is that they’re the Rangers are asking for more than that or different than that Um and so teams that are looking to be playoff teams or in that zone are like we can just offer sheet them for five and a half or whatever Give them the first and the third and be on our way And I think that the Rangers have like contingency plans in place that if that does if it gets to that point that they they’ll move Cap out and they’ll just match and then you know that’s that’s just how it’s going to be Um so yes I think that they are looking especially you you we’re about to see them give up or keep the 12th overall pick I believe I think they’re going to hold on to that pick and give up their unprotected 2026 Um which is risky This is just said don’t give up Don’t give up unprotected 2026 But you know you don’t go out and trade for JT Miller because you think your team sucks and it’s gonna suck long term because he’s got a long contract So they’re expecting to to to not miss the playoffs next year and they’re going to bet on their group and they’re going to give them that kind of boost by being like “No we’re going to move we’re going to move off this and this 2026 pick and and trust that you guys are going to get us there.” So they’re looking for now pieces Um which is interesting because Kandre Miller is a now piece but I think he’s I think he’s I think he’s kind of just wore out his welcome there potentially off ice too you know he’s not he’s another one kind of like Dickinson with all the physical gifts in the world but maybe not the greatest mind Um and and and I I’ve just I’ve heard kind of some rumblings some things like not that he has personally done anything off ice it’s just that it it hasn’t maybe been a fit or it’s run it’s run its course there So yeah I think it’ll be more of a hockey trade to be honest with you if the Rangers get their way Yeah And that leads me to kind of my final question in terms of realistic paths for the Sharks to get better this off season And Mike has already stated of course he could just be playing Koi But he’s already said that he basically has no plans to give out any long-term contracts You know I think we’re talking like sixyear plus contracts So that could already eliminate guys like Marner Gabricov Provar down the line and they probably won’t offer sheet anybody because that might be putting their 2026 first in play which I doubt that they will And in terms of making a hockey trade the Sharks and the Rangers may not be the best fit because the Rangers want to win now The Sharks they have a lot to trade but it’s all in futures mostly And so what do you see just off the top of your head just kind of realistic paths for the Sharks then i think that they would like to take a little bit of a step forward We want to start getting some winning culture built in with with those young players You don’t want them to to start to get used to losing for too long But at the same time like I mentioned this isn’t the time to go out there and and really blow it up on a UFA deal Um so maybe add around the fringes right there’s always there’s always market inefficiencies out there where some guy is overlooked and you can get him later in the summer for a song on a one-year deal and then oh lucky that we can deal them at the trade deadline and get more assets back right so I love that model Um I think they’ll do some of that Maybe it is on the trade market right are teams out there that would be looking to move some some pieces now in their mid to late 20s for futures as they start to retool themselves whether that’s like a Jonathan Marsheso who’s you know attached to a long contract which probably doesn’t fit so well with San Jose but those type of players that you know suddenly they’re on a team that was supposed to be good and it’s not and they need to start looking at at rebuilding themselves Um but yeah I think it’s it’s probably going to be like stay the course add around the edges for now wait for the guys to take another step take another step two maybe three years that’s when you want to go out and really really spend big Now that that said these guys haven’t had a chance to extend yet but that 2026 free agent class could be something special So that might accelerate that if all of the sudden Capri also on the market and they’re like we want him next to Celbrini Let’s go do everything we can to go bring him into into Northern California Yeah it’s still kind of open question what the sharks will do though That was actually a number one question that a lot of people that I talked to at the combine be it agents or team people What are the sharks going to do what are the sharks going to do but yeah like you like you mentioned Cam I don’t think I don’t think it’s the time for them yet I don’t think that they think it’s a time for them yet which is the most important more important than what we think But anyway Keegan you got anything else for Cam here i think that’s all said You gave us our uh the tight 30 minutes Yep Well Cam uh thank you so much for your time Uh want to leave off with follow Cam at hockey_roinson and go uh Elite Prospects Plus or Premium to sign up to read Cam’s work And the Elite Prospects 2025 draft guide is out It’s uh I think the most it’s the biggest guide I think that’s out there I’ve seen over over the years in terms of just the breadth of coverage how many prospects that they they mention in the book It’s a it’s a tremendous resource for sure I joke around that you know you can you can seem like a genius after you read it right on players you’ve never seen before because we do all the work and you get to look smart So yeah nearly 2,000 pages when you include all the scouting reports We have a sick group of scouts on this on this team that just all they want to do is watch hockey and write reports So it’s uh yeah it’s good Definitely want to get your hands on that All right Cam Well thanks a lot buddy And I will see you in LA hopefully See you there Thanks Cam Thanks boys [Music]

The San Jose Hockey Now Podcast is sponsored by Bring Hockey Back!

Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast to talk about the latest Combine gossip and the 2025 Draft! (51:18)

But before we get to Cam, we talk about the latest San Jose Sharks news.

Macklin Celebrini does not win the Calder Trophy. (01:56)

There’s a ton of trade and free agent targets right now: Who’s real, who’s not for the San Jose Sharks? (11:10) Of course, Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson and company would look great in teal, but are they realistic hopes? What are sensible ways for the Sharks to acquire K’Andre Miller or Nicolas Hague? 

What does Keegan think of Combine chatter, like the Sharks thinking hard about Caleb Desnoyers at No. 2? (32:40)

And now, Cam! (51:18)

What kind of trade could get the New York Islanders to move off No. 1?

If the San Jose Sharks pick Michael Misa at No. 2, when does he need to make the decision about going the NCAA route?

Does Cam have a No. 2 sleeper, if not Misa? (1:05:18)

How sure is Robinson that the Sharks will make Misa the No. 2 pick?

Who are some good candidates for the No. 30 and 33 picks? (1:07:50)

What does Cam think of Will Smith now? (1:10:15)

Cam reported that K’Andre Miller was available…how can the San Jose Sharks improve themselves if they won’t hand out six-year plus contracts in free agency, won’t offersheet anybody high-end, and only really have futures to trade?