San Jose Hockey Now Podcast #27: Steven Ellis High on Sharks' System, WJC Prospects

San Jose Hockey Now Podcast

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis joins us to discuss the six San Jose Sharks prospects at the World Junior Championships and why he’s so high on Will Smith.

But first, Keegan and Sheng talk about some of the San Jose Sharks that had a good week, like Filip Zadina (2:40).

What’s going on with Logan Couture and Nico Sturm’s injuries (15:40)?

We discuss what Sharks director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse said about the prospects at the WJCs and more, along with Keegan’s impressions of Smith and company at the WJC tune-up games (20:25).

Finally, what presents do we want the Sharks to get this Christmas (32:10)?

And just for fun, what would Keegan trade for Alexis Lafreniere (42:15)?

Now, Steven Ellis (45:20)!

Ellis talks Team USA’s Will Smith and Eric Pohlkamp (46:40). What’s Smith’s NHL ceiling and why is Ellis so high on him? Does Pohlkamp have NHL potential?

Why was Quentin Musty a Team USA snub (55:30)?

Ellis predicts that Smith can jump to the NHL next year.

Why did Jake Furlong make Team Canada (1:00:40)? Ellis admits that Furlong wasn’t on his initial projected roster.

What does Ellis think of Filip Bystedt and Mattias Havelid from Team Sweden (1:04:55)? He has no concern about Bystedt’s up-and-down sophomore SHL campaign. What are their NHL ceilings?

Ellis loves to watch (and chat with) Team Finland’s Kasper Halttunen: “He’s full of violence” (1:09:50).

Ellis discusses other San Jose Sharks prospects that he’s high on (1:13:35) and where he ranks their system (1:15:20). Ellis has the system in his top-10!

Finally, Macklin Celebrini = Jonathan Toews? And what does Ellis think of the defensive depth in the 2024 Draft?

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