With the San Jose Sharks’ portion of the 2026 Rookie Faceoff now in the past, let’s take a look back at the players who participated in this year’s event. While the Sharks were dominant and nobody really seemed out of place, there were some who shined more than others.
Ivar Stenberg: NHL ready. Not much else to say, he was exactly as advertised.
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Filip Bystedt: Less of a sample size since he was a late scratch against Utah, but overall seemed fine. Not as dominant as you’d expect given his level of experience at the AHL level though despite scoring a goal.
Michael Misa: Hard to complain about a two-point night in his only outing of the tournament, but it took him some time to show signs of his skill level. Would’ve liked to see more out of him as he’s set to compete for the Sharks’ 2C job.
Igor Chernyshov: Seemed to generate a lot of chances during his time with Stenberg but struggled to do much with them. Definitely a dangerous offensive player as we’ve seen in both the NHL and AHL, but chemistry with Misa and Stenberg wasn’t quite there.
Quentin Musty: It seems that Musty knows the likelihood of him ever earning a top-six role with the Sharks is diminishing and he’s attempting to change up his game a bit to compete for a bottom-six job. Much more physical than I remember and was willing to stand up for his teammates.
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Andre Gasseau: Surprisingly impressive. While he mainly stood out in the first game of the event, scoring a pair of goals and picking up an assist, he wasn’t necessarily out of place between Stenberg and Chernyshov. It did seem that his linemates got him less involved against Utah though.
Carson Wetsch: Although John McCarthy said this is viewed more as a showcase and didn’t really raise anyone’s stock, it’s hard to ignore Wetsch’s contributions. Getting himself a game misconduct in the first period of a regular season game would probably be troublesome, but it showed who he is and what he’s willing to do. Could be a player to watch at Training Camp.
Cam Lund: Hard to evaluate with how early he was knocked out of the game against LA. Injuries are certainly becoming a concern though, as they’re going to start impacting his development heavily at this rate.
Jake Gustafson: His goal-scoring was critical to the Sharks’ win over Utah, as it would’ve been a much different game without him on the ice. Still a few years away from being ready to turn pro, but certainly seemed to thrive in this level of competition.
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Aurelio Garcia: A few good hustle plays, notably when he forced a goalie turnover behind the net against Utah. Otherwise, seemed fairly invisible throughout the weekend.
Brendan Hoffman: Seemed decent, but not a difference-maker. Could be a solid bottom-six option for the Barracuda or play a bigger role with the Thunder.
Pavel Martinu: For the most part, Martinu didn’t stand out much outside of his goal against Los Angeles. Could be a solid signing for the AHL in the future, but would likely spend time in the ECHL. Seemed solid for an 18-year-old at this tournament. Could be a player who gets drafted as an overage player.
Samuel Huo: Not very noticeable overall.
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Jordan Bax: Only memorable moment was when Bax took a penalty, so not overly impactful.
Phillip Sinn: Had some poor decisions at times, but seemed like he could be a solid player for the Barracuda this season.
Eric Pohlkamp: Very little to complain about with his performance. He thrived on both the power play and penalty kill. His shot can make him into a valuable player at the NHL level. Should be interesting to watch at training camp.
Alexander Karmanov: His size is definitely an asset and helped him keep up with players who were much quicker than him. He helped deflect a few dangerous shots and looked better than expected for an 18-year-old seventh-round pick. Definitely a project who likely never sees the NHL, but worth keeping an eye on.
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Tristan Sarsland, Thomas Messineo, Mack Oliphant: Not much to note on Sarsland, Messineo, and Oliphant but for defensemen, that’s kind of a good thing. Weren’t game-changers though.
Jake Boltmann: Stepped up to play forward when needed. Like the aforementioned trio he wasn’t a game-changer, but was more noticeable on the ice.
Brady Knowling: Looked phenomenal in his only outing of the tournament, saving 26 of the 27 shots that he faced. Certainly some areas he can improve, but I’ll leave that to the goaltending experts to breakdown later on.
Matt Davis: Solid overall, allowing just one goal while facing 16 shots. Needs a strong camp to even earn an AHL job, so he’ll be a player to keep an eye on later this month.
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Connor Hasley: Made some big saves after coming into the game cold. Nothing to really complain about, outside of playing the puck in some dangerous situations.
It’s important to take rookie tournaments with a grain of salt, as they are often not relevant to training camp decisions in the long run. With that being said, a solid performance never hurts.
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