Kurtenbach: Instant reaction to the Sharks’ No. 11 pick in the NHL Draft

The Sharks have their future No. 1 center.

And now they have their future No. 1 defenseman, too.

I’m certain that the Sharks did not expect 6-foot-3, 205-pound blueliner Sam Dickinson to be on the board when they selected No. 11. After all, he was expected to be the third defenseman taken Friday — likely in the top seven.

But when he was there at No. 11, with four defensemen already selected, the Sharks didn’t hesitate to take him.

It’s a straightforward, logical pick that provides incredible value to the Sharks. A left-handed defenseman from the London Knights, Dickinson was a Memorial Cup runner-up, anchoring the best power play in the OHL with sweet passes and smooth skating, scoring 70 points this past season.

Because of his uber-heavy shot and the connection to London, Dickinson has been compared to Oilers defensemen Evan Bouchard.

There are certainly worse comparisons to pull. And I can see it on the offensive end, but it’s selling the kid short on defense. He’s shown an impressive knack for the little things that have a big impact in rush defense, and while he doesn’t show much bite in the defensive zone, he certainly has the size to move forwards off their spot.

I’m fascinated to see how well he can play when he’s not on the ice for 30-plus minutes a game, too. He had to have been pacing himself in London.

He’s not perfect. He, at times, seemed flummoxed while starting a breakout with the Knights, but after his age-17 season, it’s not as if you’re drafting a finished product anyway.

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The Sharks now have, arguably of course, the best prospect talent pool in the NHL with the addition of Celebrini and Dickinson.

That said, this is a team that is still in need of top-paring-possible right-handed defensemen. Maybe that’s for the team’s two first-round picks in 2025.

As of Friday, though, the Sharks’ top blue-line prospects — Shakir Mukhamadullin, Henry Thrun, and Luca Cagnoni — are all left-handed shots, as is Dickinson.

If that’s a problem, we’ll find out soon enough.

In the meantime, few players in the NHL can move like Dickinson, much less at the defenseman’s size it will give him an advantage the second he steps on the ice as a professional.

Is the rest of his game ready for the NHL?

I can imagine a world where he goes back and dominates the OHL next season.

I can also see him playing a lot of minutes for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL this next season, with the Sharks using the same development model for Dickinson as they used on Mukhamadullin, who played 67 games for the ‘Cuda the past two seasons.

Either way, in the not-too-distant future, the Sharks will expect Dickinson to be a linchpin player for this franchise.

And all in all, with Celebrini — a future superstar — and now Dickinson — who just has “underrated winner” written all over him — it was a hell of a day for the Sharks in Las Vegas.

Here’s to a few more of those in the years to come.

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