The additions to the San Jose Sharks’ lineup over the summer have forced some difficult decisions for new head coach Ryan Warsofsky heading into the 2024-25 season. Among those decisions will be where Collin Graf starts the season, whether that’s in the NHL or with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Graf: An Advantage No More
Reportedly, a big part of the reason that the Sharks were able to sign Graf as an undrafted free agent was his desire to play in the NHL right out of the gate. He accomplished that feat last season, appearing in seven games with the Sharks at the end of the season. Heading into the summer, it seemed as if that would remain the case for the 2024-25 season. Graf has the ability to play both center and right-wing, which is certainly an advantage for a player trying to crack a lineup. With that being said though, the Sharks added players who can play every forward position which is going to force some young players off of the opening night roster.
Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg are undoubtedly going to be in the lineup when the Sharks take the ice against the St. Louis Blues on opening night, which is Oct. 10. Carl Grundstrom, Barclay Goodrow, and Ty Dellandrea aren’t necessarily guaranteed a spot, but it’s highly likely they’re in the lineup as well. The addition of five NHL-caliber forwards was a worst-case scenario for a player like Graf. Despite his opportunity in the NHL last season, he’s likely to be on his way to the AHL this October.
There are definite benefits to a player like Graf spending time in the AHL, as he still has to adjust to the intense travel schedule and physicality of the professional game. He’d also get considerably more ice time with the Barracuda than he would with the Sharks. Although all the fame and glamor in the hockey world is in the NHL, there’s certainly nothing wrong with a player spending time in the AHL as they get ready to make the next step fully.
The Case for the NHL
Despite the fact that Graf is unlikely to be starting the season on the NHL roster, a case can certainly be made for him belonging there. He didn’t look out of place during his seven-game stint in teal. With that being said, he wasn’t a massive game-changer either, but he was an effective player for a struggling Sharks team. Undrafted free agents aren’t expected to be superstars, though Graf has the potential to be a long-term role player for the Sharks which is going to be just as important in the long run considering they already have names like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith coming through the system as well. Those two will also likely take up spots in the Sharks’ lineup, and given all the recent additions it becomes easy to see why Graf is seen as a likely candidate to get the short end of the stick.
However, allowing Graf to play at the NHL level will come with benefits. Since he is still just 21 years old, he’s going to have the ability to grow with the young core that general manager (GM) Mike Grier is putting in place. Allowing Graf to develop chemistry with the future stars of the organization like the aforementioned Celebrini and Smith would only benefit the Sharks in the long run, as they’d be comfortable with one another when it comes time for the team to contend. Graf has also shown that he can hang in the NHL, even though he didn’t produce offensively at a high level in his limited stint. Once he’s had the opportunity to fully make the adjustment from the collegiate game to the professional level, he could prove that he’s a much more valuable asset than we’re expecting him to be.
Related: Sharks Are the Team to Watch at 2024 Rookie Faceoff
Overall, Graf is a player whose potential is a bit more unknown than the average prospect. His performances with Quinnipiac in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) show that he has skill, and he held up well enough in his short stint in the NHL to show that he has the ability to play professionally to some extent. It seems clear that he was promised NHL game time during the 2023-24 season, however, the extent of Grier’s promises to the player remains behind closed doors. So far in his tenure, it seems that Grier has tried to do right by his players. If he promised Graf time in the NHL this season as well, I’d expect the Sharks’ GM to stand by that as well.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Sharks handle Graf to start the season and it will certainly be a storyline to watch heading into training camp and preseason. He’ll be on the roster for the 2024 Rookie Faceoff, and as a result, he’ll get quite a few chances to prove to management and the coaching staff that he’s NHL-ready. Now, it’s up to him to take advantage of those opportunities and perform at a high level.
