San Jose Sharks decide to keep top defensive prospect in NHL (for now)
SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson no longer has to think about returning to major junior hockey — at least not for the time being.
Dickinson will play in his 10th NHL game of the season on Sunday when the Sharks face the Detroit Red Wings to close out a four-game homestand. By being in the lineup for a 10th game, the Sharks are burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Dickinson had played in nine of the Sharks’ first 12 games.
Dickinson’s three-year deal was slide-eligible for another year, as the Sharks had the option of loaning Dickinson back to his major junior team, the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. The Sharks still can send Dickinson back to the OHL, but his entry-level deal will now expire after the 2027-28 season, when he is set to become a restricted free agent.
Dickinson, who admitted Friday that he was feeling anxious about his uncertain future, said he received the news about staying in San Jose and continuing his professional career from general manager Mike Grier on Saturday.
“I was a little nervous. I got a text saying that I had to meet with (Grier), so some nerves kicked in,” Dickinson said. “But then I figured, it could also be a good meeting. So I started (thinking) that’s what the meeting was going to be — not a bad meeting. So that kept me together.”
Dickinson said Grier told him that he and everybody “felt that I had earned a spot here to stick around. But it was a lot of ‘it’s still early on,’ and baby steps into what’s going to come in the future. Obviously, a nice little achievement right here, but a lot more to look forward to.”
In his first nine NHL games, the 6-foot-3 Dickinson didn’t have a point as he mainly played sheltered minutes and averaged 14:05 in ice time. He has made mistakes, but he appears to be learning from them.
“This is pro sports and it’s the National Hockey League, so he’s got to continue to show improvement and show that he belongs here,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Dickinson. “But I think early on this season, he’s taken some big steps in getting more and more comfortable as he plays and correcting mistakes.
“So we’re seeing some growth in his game. We’ve seen some speed bumps in his game, but ultimately, we’ve seen him take some steps in the right direction, where we think he can help our hockey team.”
Shortly after speaking with Grier, Dickinson told his dad that he was staying in the NHL.
“He just said how proud he was,” Dickinson said. “It was really cool to talk to him and thank him for everything. He talked about how proud he was and the dedication and effort. So it was pretty cool to share that with him.”
If Dickinson, who was drafted 11th overall by the Sharks last year and is considered the team’s top defensive prospect, is on the Sharks roster for 40 games this season, he will move a year closer to unrestricted free agency.
With Dickinson’s deal, which carries a $942,500 salary cap hit, the Sharks are now at the NHL limit of 50 contracts.
Per the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHL Players’ Association, the Sharks could play Dickinson in nine games without burning the first year of his ELC. Still just 19, the Canadian-born Dickinson is a year too young to be assigned to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
Warsofsky left the contract talk up to Grier, but had said before that there were concerns that Dickinson’s development could stagnate if he returned to major junior.
“We’ve got a pretty good plan in place,” Warsofsky said. “We’ve seen some steps in the right direction. We’ve seen some speed bumps and issues that we need to correct. So we’ll keep working (each) day.”
Later this year, the Sharks could also release Dickinson to compete for Canada in the IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins in late December and is being held in Minnesota.
Sharks center Michael Misa, 18. could also be a part of Canada’s entry for the World Juniors. Misa, drafted second overall by the Sharks in June, played in his seventh NHL game Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
“World Juniors is something pretty special, and to be able to play would be pretty special again,” said Dickinson, who played in the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa. “But at the same time, this is the NHL, and it’s at an even higher level. I guess we’ll just see what happens with that.”
EKLUND INJURED
Forward William Eklund, who has been dealing with a lower-body issue for roughly a week, did not play Sunday. Eklund, 23, had been playing some of the best hockey of his NHL career, as before Sunday, he was second on the team with 11 points in 12 games. In a five-game point streak from Oct. 23-30, Eklund had four goals and five assists.
The Sharks’ next game is Wednesday in Seattle against the Kraken.
REAVES ON IR
The Sharks placed winger Ryan Reaves on injured reserve Sunday and recalled forward Ethan Cardwell from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
Reaves, 38, sustained a lower-body injury Thursday in the second period of the Sharks’ game against New Jersey, as he had a breakaway and was able to get a backhand shot on goal as he fought off a check from Devils winger Paul Cotter. But he tripped over the glove of goalie Jake Allen and fell hard on his back.
Reaves left the game and did not return. He was seen the next day wearing a walking boot, but Warsofsky said Reaves’ injury was more day-to-day than week-to-week.
Also on IR right now for the Sharks are forward Adam Gaudette and defenseman Nick Leddy, who are both dealing with upper-body maladies.
Cardwell, 23, has two goals and two points in seven games with the Barracuda this season. He has one goal in six career NHL games, although it was not immediately known if he would play Sunday against the Red Wings.