How have some of the San Jose Sharks’ top forward prospects, non-Michael Misa category, improved over the summer?

Collin Graf, Quentin Musty, Kasper Halttunen, and Cam Lund shared their size gains and off-season focus areas on Wednesday.

Quentin Musty

In a tumultuous, injury-riddled 2024-25 season, the Musty tallied 30 goals and 59 points in 33 OHL games with the Sudbury Wolves. He also got into a handful of games with the San Jose Barracuda at the end of the season, even seeing playoff action.

Musty felt he needed to get faster this offseason.

At Rookie Faceoff training today, Musty said that while his body fat percentage dropped, his weight remained has unchanged. He just added muscle.

“Slimming that body fat is helping me with energy, quickness, all that stuff,” he said. “It’s something I felt I had to do to have a chance of making their roster this year.”

Musty says he weighs 200 pounds, but he’s dropped his body fat from 12 to nine percent.

That’s not to say he just lifted weights and prioritized his diet. He spent time on the mental side of hockey.

“I think I’ve got the tools to play at the NHL level,” the San Jose Sharks’ 2023 first-round pick said. “Dialing in those things defensively and positioning-wise. [I’m] still working at those even in the off-season.”

“The more you’re prepared, the more confident you’re gonna be coming in here,” Musty continued. “I feel like I did a great job of preparing myself for this camp, so the confidence is gonna come with that. When I’m on the ice, the confidence is gonna be there.”

Cam Lund

Lund put up 18 goals and 40 points in 37 games during his junior season at Northeastern University. After an 11-game NHL stint to end the season, the youngster felt he needed to add muscle.

“Some of the pucks down low, being stronger on them,” Lund noted. “That was my goal this summer, to put on some weight, which I did.”

Now up to 200 pounds, the San Jose Sharks’ 2022 second-round pick says that he added eight pounds of muscle this off-season.

The 21-year-old winger hopes that his experience and strength can lead to more NHL time.

“Learning from the older guys on the team, and [following] their lead, I think that definitely helped,” Lund said. “It’s an exciting time to be on the Sharks right now.”

As an NCAA player, Lund has never taken part in an NHL training camp. He’s training with the eligible rookies now, and will be joined by the veterans for the first time later this month.

“I’m trying to just soak it all in,” he said. “I’m just enjoying it. I’m meeting some of the guys I haven’t met before. So, I’m looking forward to a good week.”

Kasper Halttunen

Halttunen put up four points in six games with the San Jose Barracuda before being sent back to the OHL’s London Knights. En route to a Memorial Cup win, he scored 15 goals and 21 points in 17 playoff games. While his strong shot will translate to NHL success, Halttunen still has things to improve.

“The goal for me to get more power to the legs, so I can be faster,” Halttunen shared. “… That’s probably the biggest thing [for me]. Get more speed and keep up with the pace that you’ve got to have in the NHL.”

Halttunen says he gained eight pounds of muscle and is up to 215, but feels he’s moving better.

His early action in the AHL taught him about higher levels of hockey.

“It’s obviously a lot more physical, faster, and the other guys are grown men,” the San Jose Sharks’ 2023 second-round pick said. “I learned a lot from the from [their] pro habits.”

Musty, Lund, and Halttunen are likely headed to the AHL this season. While their summer training is over, their work is not. Their first full professional seasons will teach them about life off-the-ice.

“That’s gonna be a huge part this year too,” Halttunen concluded. “Learning how to live here, yourself, alone. Learning about all the nutrition, how to sleep.”

Collin Graf

It was a little surprising to see Graf, 40 NHL games under his belt, on the Rookie Faceoff roster.

The San Jose Sharks are counting on the 22-year-old winger to provide leadership to a much-younger group.

“That was their message, for sure,” Graf said on Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity to show some of the guys who haven’t played pro hockey, haven’t played in the NHL, just things you have to do every day, in and out.”

As for himself, Graf said he focused on getting stronger and faster as always. But he also specifically mentioned his shot.

“There were definitely some opportunities for me where I wanted to score more. I was in spots where maybe at the college level I would score, and in the pro level, I didn’t score as much as I wanted to,” Graf said. “In the Captain’s Skates and stuff like that, I’ve noticed that it’s been better.”

The undrafted college free agent said he wants quicker releases without overdoing the stickhandling to make sure he’s ready to shoot when he receives the puck. Alongside many reps, Graf also tried out various sticks, ending up with a Bauer.

Graf also spent his summer in Boston, where he skated with now-Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Henry Thrun.

“I saw him one day in all Sharks gear, and the next day he was in all Leafs gear. He went from teal to blue,” Graf said. “But I still talk to him. I’ll still text him see how he’s doing. You still have those friendships.”

(By Felicia Keller)