SAN JOSE — Sam Dickinson was thrilled when he found out that the Sharks were drafting Michael Misa.
The Sharks defenseman prospect played for London last season in the Ontario Hockey League and had to face Misa, this year’s No. 2 pick, and his Saginaw squad twice. Dickinson, the No. 11 pick in last year’s draft, saw firsthand just how much Misa could challenge a team’s defensive corps and was pleased that San Jose opted to add his junior rival.
He’s now on the same team as Misa at the Sharks development camp, which began Tuesday. The three-day skill-building session will conclude with a scrimmage on Thursday at Tech CU Arena in San Jose.
“It’s nice to have a guy that you know come here,” Dickinson said. “You think of the player that he is, it’s really exciting. I’ve played against him for far too long. So it’ll be a change playing with him for once.”
It’s possible, maybe even likely, that Misa will be back in the OHL this year, but Dickinson, 19, may have graduated from the junior level after a banner season. The 6-foot-3 defenseman compiled 91 points in 55 games for London, leading the Knights to a Memorial Cup championship and winning the CHL’s defenseman of the year award.
Being ready for the pros right away would require successfully translating the skills he showcased to a higher level of play. That journey will begin at development camp and continue through the Sharks’ training camp in September.
“I think it’s just taking what worked for me,” Dickinson said. “Obviously, it’s a completely different level here, what hopefully the next level is for me. It’s understanding there’s a big jump to be had, but at the same time, sticking with what’s got me to where I am and just learning everything I can, soaking everything in.”
Landon Marleau joins Sharks for dev camp
There were two Marleaus on the ice Tuesday morning in San Jose, but only one had his name on the back of a jersey.
In the city where his father Patrick became a legend and had his jersey retired, son Landon skated out with the Sharks for his first dev camp. The moment was a dream come true for the 18-year-old centerman, who grew up in Los Gatos in the shadow of his dad hoping to one day don a teal sweater.
“I love it,” Landon said. It’s a kid’s dream just to play in the NHL. But then getting my dad there too, it’s pretty good. I’m getting all his info and everything. Even if it’s just a dev camp, prospect scrimmage, it’s great.”
Landon is unlikely to play for the Sharks or even the Barracuda in the immediate future. He has not been drafted by an NHL team and was invited by the Sharks on a tryout basis after putting up six points across 28 games for the Powell River Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League.
Ravensbergen talks competition with Askarov, Sharks’ surplus of goalies
Joshua Ravensbergen knows the starting goaltender job in San Jose isn’t going to be handed to him.
It would be surprising for any draft pick, even a first-rounder, to come in and immediately seize an NHL net. But that’s not the only factor for the Sharks.
Ravensbergen will also have to compete with Yaroslav Askarov, widely considered one of the best goalie prospects in the game. Askarov, 23, is poised to become the Sharks’ goaltender of the future as soon as this year. The Sharks also added Alex Nedeljkovic, 29, via a trade with Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
For Ravensbergen, 18, the opportunity to man the net in San Jose will likely come in due time. But it probably won’t be this year.
“Obviously my goal, I want to play in the NHL and be the best that I can be for the longest time,” Ravensbergen said. “I remember watching Asky a couple years ago. I think he’s an unbelievable goalie too. So just let it pan out. Haven’t really thought about it too much. Just focus on doing the best I could do in my circumstances, and then just let the rest happen.”
Ravensbergen has stepped into a deep goalie room that also includes prospect Matt Davis, who finished the 2024-25 season with the Barracuda after a standout college career at Denver. Davis, Ravensbergen and Askarov have something unusual in common – they all catch right-handed. Nedeljkovic catches with his left.
“It is kind of nice to have, playing with another righty,” Ravensbergen said. “I noticed yesterday that there are so many righties here, which is cool. I enjoy it. I wonder how much different it is for the players if both your goalies are righties, like Washington was last year. It is cool.”
Musty talks playing in Sudbury, influence of ‘Shoresy’
Quentin Musty didn’t initially want to play in Sudbury for the 2024-25 season.
The Sharks’ 19-year-old forward prospect asked to be traded from the Wolves before last season started, citing a desire to be on a more competitive team. Once he felt Sudbury fit that bill, he reported to the Wolves in late October, and Sudbury made good by reaching the playoffs in Musty’s final year of juniors.
By reporting to Sudbury for one more year, he returned to a town that has been invigorated by the presence of the hit TV show “Shoresy,” which films at the Wolves’ home barn, the Sudbury Community Arena.
“A couple years back, our whole team was in an episode,” Musty said. “They film it right in our rink. And then this year, one of my teammates was actually a character in the show.”
Chase Coughlan, a 20-year-old undrafted player for the Wolves, portrayed Mason, a young player mentored by the fictional Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs, a renegade senior team led by the title character Shoresy, who is a legendarily foul-mouthed enforcer. Cast members from the show have appeared at Wolves games during filming in Sudbury.
“It’s cool seeing them around,” Musty said. “They come to a lot of games, and it was always nice when they were there. They get the fans going and stuff. It was nice meeting them and having them around.”