San Jose Sharks Director of Amateur Scouting Chris Morehouse spoke to the media following day two of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Morehouse has been with the Sharks since 2022, the same as GM Mike Grier. Together, the duo has drafted the next core of the San Jose Sharks. After four drafts together, the new core of the Sharks has appeared in full.
Michael Misa, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Sam Dickinson are all top-11 draft picks of the Sharks. Misa, Celebrini, and Smith are all top-five picks.
“From our staff perspective, on the amateur side, I think we’ve set out to execute Mike’s plan,” Morehouse said. “I look at the job I’ve done, and obviously, we’re never going to know where things are. It’s three years in, and I’m really proud of the group.”
The major players of the future for the Sharks were all acquired via the draft. While players like Yaroslav Askarov and Shakir Mukhamadullin remain key parts, there are more drafted prospects viewed as key pieces.
Looking at the depth of the Sharks’ prospect pool, Quentin Musty, Kasper Halttunen, Luca Cagnoni, Filip Bystedt, and Igor Chernyshov are all draftees of Morehouse and Grier.
Many rate the Sharks’ 2025 draft class highly. Steven Ellis of Daily Face-Off gave San Jose an A+ and ranked them third on his list.
“Hard to go wrong with the top forward and the perceived best goaltender. Cole McKinney isn’t a bad pick, either. I’m not convinced he’s going to produce in the NHL, but he’s a solid pickup at 53,” Ellis wrote. “The real draw here is Misa, who already looks like a future NHL star. Ravensbergen will either become a perfect tandem piece with Yaroslav Askarov or become a high-value trade chip. Wang is one of my favorite defenders because he’s raw, but the skating and size are absolute killers. I think their top four picks can all become impact players.”
Morehouse and his staff might not be front-facing during an NHL season, but the work they put in has been instrumental. The fruits of his labor should begin to pay off.
“We’re not on the road with the team every day. We’re not in the rink, we’re not in San Jose. But trust me, behind the scenes, we are doing everything we possibly can to make a difference in the organization,” Morehouse said. “For me, in terms of where I’ve been before and now, with the way Mike [Grier] treats us, we are all allowed to speak our minds and have an opinion. The trust he puts in not only myself, but our group, it’s infectious. You have a bunch of people that show up here wanting to work every day for Mike. So, it’s a really great and awesome work environment.”
Next up for the San Jose Sharks’ young core is the 2025 Development Camp.
Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on Sharks Hockey Digest! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!
