Sharks Face Interesting Dilemma With Dickinson's Development

Sam Dickinson is one of the most interesting prospects to follow this coming season for the San Jose Sharks.

He’s outgrown the Ontario Hockey League, that much is very clear. However, unlike many in that situation, he’s unable to go the NCAA route since he’s already signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks.

Dickinson is also still ineligible for the American Hockey League since he’s just 19 years old. As a result, the only options he has are to make the NHL roster, or spend another season dominating the OHL which does little for his development. It is important to note first note though, there is an example the Sharks can look at to help influence their decision.

The Chicago Blackhawks went through a similar situation with former seventh-overall pick Kevin Korchinski a few seasons ago. He stayed in the NHL for the entirety of the 2023-24 season, but never truly found his footing. While he played some games in the NHL this past season, he ended up spending the most of his time with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL where he seemed much more comfortable.

Even though Dickinson is performing at a higher level than Korchinski was at this point in his development, it’s a comparable that shouldn’t be ignored.

Neither option is perfect for Dickinson, but let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each possibility.

With the London Knights of the OHL last year, Dickinson had what can only be described as a dominant season. In the regular season he lit the lamp 29 times, and totaled 91 points in just 55 games. He went to another level in the playoffs as well, with 31 points in just 17 games. He was a key contributor in the Knights’ eventual Memorial Cup victory and earned some other hardware along the way.

Dickinson was named both the OHL and Canadian Hockey League Defenseman of the Year, and was named to the CHL First All-Star team as well. Ultimately, he’s accomplished everything there is to do in Junior hockey.

The main advantage to the London Knights is Dickinson can certainly learn a lot from head coach Dale Hunter, but compared to what he’d learn playing at a higher level, it’s minimal at best. He would also be guaranteed an abundance of playing time in the OHL, which may not be the case if he were to make it to the NHL.

Looking at the Sharks roster, even after trading away Henry Thrun, there’s an abundance of left-handed defensemen competing for very few spots. Mario Ferraro, Dmitry Orlov, and Nick Leddy seem almost guaranteed to be on the opening night roster. Only one of them, Leddy, has proven that he can comfortably play on his off-side which does open up one spot that Dickinson can compete for.

There’s an abundance of competition beyond Orlov and Ferraro though, as Shakir Mukhamadullin will be looking to finally prove he can stick in the NHL, as will Luca Cagnoni and Jack Thompson, who is a right-handed defenseman.

If Dickinson does make the roster, he’d likely be put on the Sharks’ top-pairing almost immediately, which is a mighty task for a 19-year-old defenseman. There’s also the concern of who the Sharks would be able to pair him with. Considering Dickinson likes to jump into the play, having him alongside John Klingberg for example could be dangerous, as it would likely lead to quite a few offensive rushes for the opposition. Nick Leddy at this stage of his career likely shouldn’t be getting top-four minutes, at least to start the season and as a result that would take him out of the running.

Timothy Liljegren on the other hand, could be a decent option for the time being. Although, like Klingberg, Liljegren is an offensive minded defenseman, he’s more reliable defensively which should allow Dickinson to play his game with as minimal risk as possible defensively.

In a perfect world, the best move for Dickinson at this stage of his career would be either a season in the NCAA or starting out in the American Hockey League to adapt to the professional game before getting called up mid season. Unfortunately for Grier, neither of those options are on the table.

I think it’s safe to say, Dickinson will start the season in the NHL. However, after the ninth game of the season will be when Grier is forced to decide whether to keep the defenseman in San Jose and burn the first year of his entry-level contract, or send him back to the London Knights.

It’s a tough task to ask a 19-year-old to jump into the NHL under any circumstances, but it’s something that’s even more difficult for a defenseman.

The Sharks’ general manager had nothing but praise for Dickinson following this season’s development camp and clearly believes in the defenseman's ability. ”I think he's a little bit more mature, and he's carrying himself with just a little bit more confidence,” Grier said. “I thought he dominated most of the time, so it was a good first step for him and we feel like he's on the right track here.”

Overall, it’s not going to be as easy of a decision as it looks like on paper for how to approach Dickinson’s development. As the Sharks saw with Will Smith last season, sometimes a young player’s confidence can be damaged by playing in the NHL before they’re fully ready. Smith was able to eventually turn things around, and finished with a respectable rookie season, however with how how many goals the Sharks have given up over the past few seasons, that could be much harder for a defenseman like Dickinson to overcome.

Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images