STOCKTON, CA – Over the past decade, the San Jose Sharks have drafted and developed a number of talented forwards. On that list are players like Devin Setoguchi, Ryan Clowe, Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek, all of which had some developmental time in the clubs AHL affiliate, the Worchester Sharks.
As time progressed, the Sharks still have a number of talented forwards in their developmental leagues. The following is a list of a few to watch. Left Wing 1) Lukas Kaspar Of the left wingers, Lukas Kaspar and Jamie McGinn have each seen some time at the NHL level this season. Kaspar is a 23 year old, native of Most, Czech Republic. At a dominating 6’ 2″, 220 pounds, he fits in with the towering size standards of the Sharks. Kasper started the season on the San Jose Sharks roster, but was later reassigned in late October to the Worcester Sharks. Kaspar played in 49 games, and has 14 goals, 25 assists and 28 penalty minutes. He has played in 13 games with the big Sharks, where he earned 2 goals and 2 assists. He is currently second on Worcester in points and tied for second in assists. He was drafted in the first round by San Jose at the 2004 Entry Draft. 2) Jamie McGinn McGinn has been playing with confidence and continues to improve. He’s been noted for his calmness and skills. The 20 year old native of Fergus, Ontario (Canada) has played most of the season with Worcester, but has been called up to San Jose on a couple of occasions due to injuries. With Worcester, he’s played in 44 games and has 19 goals, 11 assists, and 50 penalty minutes. In San Jose, he played in 18 games and had 2 goals and an assist. He is currently ranked sixth on Worcester for points, tied for second in goals and leads the team in power play goals with eight. Right Wing 1) Ryan Vescue The Sharks right wingers are very similar when it comes to quickly developing players. A native of Lloyd Harbor, New York, Ryan Vescue, ranks seventh among AHL’s top scorers, and first on his team in points, assists, and goals. Vescue is currently assigned to the Worcester, where he’s played in 56 games racking up 20 goals, 42 assists, and 22 penalty minutes. He has a better than one point-per-game average in the AHL level. He’s also had two games in San Jose without earning a point. Kaspar and Vescue have been key in the current standings for Worcester this season. Their scoring consistency has helped to keep the team in the playoff race, however with 60 games down, Worcester has only 63 points, placing them in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, only 4 points out of a playoff position. 2) P.J. Fenton Fenton is another prospect with potential. He’s split the season between Worcester and the Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL). In Phoenix, he played in 13 games, earning nine goals, two assists, and no penalties. In the AHL level, he’s played in 38 games, with four goals, seven assists and 20 penalty minutes. Fenton is a 23 year old native of Springfield, Massachusetts. 3) John McCarthy Next on our list is senior John McCarthy who is playing for Boston University. He’s played in 32 games, with 4 goals, 14 assists, and 16 penalty minutes. McCarthy a 6’ 1″, 195 pound native of Des Moines, Iowa. McCarthy was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 Entry Draft by the Sharks. He was co-captain of the team and was noted for his being a top penalty killer and for his face-off skills. McCarthy was also a two-time member of the Hockey East All Academic Team. 4) Ashton Rome Rome has split his time between the Worcester Sharks (AHL) and the Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL). He didn’t earn a point in the three games with the Sharks, but in the 49 games with the Roadrunners, he racked up 23 goals, 17 assists and 114 penalty minutes. He currently ranks 15th among ECHL players in goals. Rome is a 6’1″, 205 pound native of Nesbitt, Manitoba. Rome is in the final year of his entry level contract, and has been hot an cold during the season. 5) Mike Morris Morris, a 25 year old native of Braintree, Massachusetts, has been assigned to Worcester and has played in 17 games with five goals, six assists, and six penalty minutes before sustaining a concussion the end of November. Before the injury he was seen as a strong prospect. 6) Riley Armstrong Riley Armstrong is another forward with great potential. Armstrong is a 24 year old, 5’11″, 190 pound native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is currently assigned to Worcester. He’s played in 51 games, earning 19 goals, 10 assists and 67 penalty minutes. He played in two games with San Jose and didn’t score a point. His older brother Colby, currently plays for the Atlanta Thrashers. Another youngster and fairly new on the prospect radar is Elero, Sweden native Patrik Zackrisson. The 21 year old, was a sixth round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft. He’s been playing for Linkopings (SEL), and in 41 games has 12 goals and 15 assists to date. 7-8) Drew and Justin Daniels Finally, brothers, Drew and Justin Daniels were drafted by San Jose in the 2008 Entry Draft. Both are currently playing Junior’s with the Sioux City Musketeers. Justin has demonstrated success in his last twelve games, earning 11 points. The nineteen year old twins are 6’ 2″, 175 pound natives of Suffern, New York. In 42 games, Justin has scored six goals, 26 assists (which leads the team), and 13 penalty minutes. Brother Drew has had similar success in 39 games with 8 goals, 14 assists and 13 penalty minutes. Contact the author at shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com
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