McKeen's Hockey: Dynasty Stock Watch

San Jose Sharks Edition

Team Outlook

The Sharks are emerging from their rebuild earlier than expected. Drafting a generational talent like Macklin Celebrini, who is already regarded by many as one of the league’s top players and was a standout for Canada at the Milan Olympics, has accelerated San Jose’s timeline. After years of extending their competitive window at the expense of future assets, the organization has pivoted fully toward long-term development. Draft capital has been accumulated aggressively, and the front office remains focused on building a core through internal development. Early returns are promising, San Jose’s prospect pipeline now features legitimate high-end talent across multiple positions, particularly up front. For dynasty managers, the dynamic of a team ready to compete ahead of schedule and pipeline bursting with potential will make for some interesting decisions. Below are three buy candidates and three players you might want to sell.

Buy Candidates

Igor Chernyshov, LW

Chernyshov is quietly emerging as one of the more intriguing forward prospects in San Jose's system. While he does not yet carry the same recognition as the organization's headline prospects, his skill set suggests a player capable of outperforming his current dynasty valuation. He attacks defenders with pace and confidence, showing the ability to drive wide with speed or cut inside to create scoring chances. What makes him particularly appealing is his offensive versatility, as he has shown finishing ability but is also comfortable operating as a playmaker, identifying passing lanes and creating opportunities off the rush.

In his first professional season, Chernyshov has impressed on both ends of the scoresheet and in the underlying numbers. After a stellar start in the AHL with the Barracuda, he earned time with the Sharks and did not look out of place, posting 11 points in 16 games. Even more encouraging are his advanced metrics according to Evolving Hockey, with nearly six goals above replacement, a remarkable figure for such a small sample size. Perhaps most exciting is his developing chemistry with budding superstar Celebrini. If that pairing solidifies, riding shotgun with one of the game's emerging stars could fast-track Chernyshov's path to a permanent NHL role and elevate his dynasty value significantly. The buy window is now, before the rest of the market catches on.

Michael Misa, C

Misa is an important piece of San Jose's rebuild and the type of elite prospect dynasty managers should covet. His toolkit combines high-end skating, advanced playmaking vision, and offensive intelligence that projects toward a top NHL player. Misa processes the game quickly, often anticipating plays before they fully develop and manipulating defenders through subtle puck movement. Some may look at what Misa is doing this season and be tempted to lower his stock, but that would be a mistake, as would drawing comparisons to what Matthew Schaefer is doing on Long Island to manufacture a bust narrative.

The Sharks have managed Misa perfectly, allowing him to adjust without putting undue stress on his shoulders, and his point pace and play-driving ability at the NHL level are reassuring for a teenager coming straight from the OHL. His slightly lowered Hockey Prospecting equivalency may actually present a buying opportunity, giving you leverage to acquire him in a trade at a discount. Yes, with Celebrini in town Misa will likely never be the true 1C, but plenty of dynamic duos have existed running their own lines and cooking on the power play, and that should be Misa's reality in short order.

Eric Pohlkamp, D

Pohlkamp fits the description of a prospect who quietly outperforms his visibility, and his game is built around awareness, structure, and consistency, allowing him to contribute in multiple situations while still producing offense. Players with this type of profile often earn coaching trust as they move up levels, and while Pohlkamp may not possess the dynamic highlight-reel skill set of San Jose's most prominent prospects, his steady development trajectory suggests a player capable of carving out a meaningful NHL role. In deeper dynasty leagues, secondary scorers with reliable deployment can provide underrated fantasy value, particularly when their acquisition cost remains modest.

Pohlkamp has been outstanding for the University of Denver this season, emerging as a true do-it-all defender with greatly increased scoring. What makes his profile even more compelling is that the offense is only part of the story, as his play driving and transition game have been elite, with his Fantasy Hockey Life skater card showing green across the board. Beyond the flashier contributions, he also projects to provide a high peripheral floor through blocks, shots, and hits, giving dynasty managers a well-rounded asset at a modest cost. For those willing to do the homework on under-the-radar college defenders, Pohlkamp is exactly the type of name worth targeting before the broader market catches up.

Sell Candidates

Luca Cagnoni, D

Cagnoni’s offensive production and puck-moving ability have made him one of the most exciting defense prospects in San Jose’s pipeline. His vision from the blue line and confidence running a power play have generated significant attention among dynasty managers, and the skillset is legitimate, though projecting it forward requires some caution. He was not drafted into the WHL but quickly became a star with the Portland Winterhawks after a tryout, which ultimately led to his selection by the Sharks in the fourth round. At five-foot-nine, his size was, and still is, a concern, but he compensates with high-end hockey intelligence and competitiveness. Unlike many smaller defenders, he transitioned to the AHL immediately, a strong early signal that helped earn him six NHL games last season.

Offensive defensemen with this profile often depend heavily on deployment and freedom to create, and as competition increases, time and space shrink quickly. His Hockey Prospecting model now places him at a 72% chance of becoming a star, though lofty comparables such as Seth Jones, Charlie McAvoy, and Adam Fox are far from likely outcomes. From a roster construction standpoint, San Jose does not yet have a long-term power-play quarterback in place, which creates opportunity, though it would not be surprising if they address that externally. With Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson the only defensemen signed beyond this season, there is organizational flexibility, but also uncertainty. If another manager is already valuing Cagnoni at his upper projection, this may represent an ideal window to sell, particularly given that his fantasy value may ultimately lean more on opportunity than guaranteed role.

Sam Dickinson, D

Dickinson possesses many of the traits NHL organizations value in modern defensemen. He combines size, mobility, and puck-moving ability while defending with physical presence, a toolkit that on paper suggests a highly projectable NHL blueliner capable of handling significant minutes. He has already carved out a meaningful role on a surprisingly competitive Sharks roster this season, though notably with the lowest average time on ice among their defensemen. That usage begins to make more sense when paired with his underlying performance, where flashes of offensive contribution have been offset by inconsistent reads and decision-making that have driven below-average defensive results.

The fantasy projection, however, remains less certain. Defensemen with Dickinson’s profile often require extended development time as they adjust to the pace and processing demands of the professional game, and without consistent power-play deployment, his statistical ceiling may resemble that of a dependable real-life defender more than a fantasy-impact asset. The current defensive inconsistencies are unlikely to be tolerated long term, especially as the Sharks transition toward contention, which could continue to limit his ice time. If another manager is projecting Dickinson as a future number-one defenseman in San Jose, that level of optimism may present an opportunity to extract strong value in a trade.

Quentin Musty, LW

Musty entered the Sharks system with considerable momentum after producing impressive offensive numbers in junior hockey, with his combination of size and skill suggesting the foundation of a potential power forward capable of generating NHL offense. He has made a solid transition to the professional level this season, though his pNHLe has dipped below 60, reinforcing some of the uncertainty in his projection. Much of Musty’s earlier production came in favorable offensive deployments and strong supporting environments, and as competition increases, players whose scoring is tied closely to usage can face a more difficult adjustment. The live and statistical profile is beginning to point toward a player who contributes offensively, but perhaps not as a primary driver.

From a fantasy perspective, the range of outcomes remains wide, with comparables spanning from Nick Suzuki to Ridly Greig, though his current trajectory appears closer to the latter. That still carries value, particularly in multi-category formats, but may fall short of initial expectations tied to a top-six scoring role. If his dynasty valuation still reflects that higher-end projection, this may represent a strong opportunity to sell and capture maximum return before his role solidifies as more complementary than focal.

Summary

Player	Role	Key Insight
Igor Chernyshov	Buy	Versatile offensive winger with rising opportunity
Michael Misa	Buy	Elite center prospect and franchise cornerstone
Eric Pohlkamp	Buy	Undervalued forward with quietly improving upside
Luca Cagnoni	Sell	Offensive defenseman whose hype may be peaking
Sam Dickinson	Sell	Strong NHL projection but uncertain fantasy ceiling
Quentin Musty	Sell	Power winger whose production may be usage-dependent