NHL Mock Draft 2018: No.21 — Rasmus Sandin
The San Jose Sharks were in the NHL playoffs for the third straight year under head coach Pete DeBoer.
The Sharks had 100 points (45-27-10) for first time since 2013-14 and made it to the second-round before being bounced by the Vegas Golden Knights.
They will need to make a splash with their first-round pick because their 2018 second and third round picks both belong to the Toronto Maple Leafs—they traded their 2018 second round pick for Roman Polak and Nick Spaling in 2016 and their third-round pick was sent to Toronto for James Reimer and Jeremy Morin.
San Jose doesn’t have an overwhelmingly deep prospect pool, but former top prospect Timo Meier made his NHL arrival in 2018, picking up 21 goals and 15 assists (36 points) in 81 games. Last year’s first-round pick Josh Norris had a nice freshman season at the University of Michigan, picking up 23 points (8G / 15A) in 37 games.
On the blueline, the Sharks have Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic locked up long-term but don’t have many defensemen coming up through the system.
With the No.21 Overall Pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the San Jose Sharks select…
Rasmus Sandin — D — Sweden ????????
After starting his career in his native country of Sweden, Sandin came over to North America in 2018 and had a great year with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL). Sandin is not flashy, but he’s a rock-steady blueliner who excels at shutting down the opposition on the rush. The 5-foot-11, 190 lbs. blueliner found a new level of offence in the OHL, scoring 12 goals and 33 assists (45 points) in 51 games.
Sandin will likely be back in the Soo in 2019, but could pro in the next few years. In a draft class loaded with blueliners, Sandin might be one of the best two-way prospect to go in the first-round.
Scouting Report
“He’s the type of player that you really need multiple viewings of to grasp what he brings to the table. He’s definitely not extremely flashy. But he is extremely effective.” — Brock Otten (OHL Prospects)
“Another elite puck mover who makes quick decisions and passes with pace. Underrated defender who benefitted moving to the OHL.” — Sam Cosentino (SportsNet)
“Sandin is proof that you don’t have to be fancy with the puck in order to achieve results. His decision to leave Sweden’s junior league for the OHL is looking smarter by the day, as he is a top contributor for the Soo as they vie for a Memorial Cup bid. Sandin is a smooth skater who is as dependable away from the puck and he is with it on his stick.” — Steve Kournianos (SportingNews)
Rankings
- #30 — HockeyProspect.com
- #19 — FutureConsiderations.ca
- #23 — ISSHockey.com