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The San Jose Sharks hold the seventh-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft, their highest selection in nearly two decades.

One name to watch for is Jesper Wallstedt, who could be the first goaltender selected in the top-10 since Carey Price back in 2005. Wallstedt posted a .908 save percentage in Sweden’s highest professional league as just an 18-year-old this year. He projects to be a high-end starting goalie in the NHL.



The Sharks have had goaltending issues for a while, with Martin Jones struggling for several years now. The Sharks do have Josef Korenar, who’s just 23 years old and did show some promise, but it would be quite the gamble to assume he can become a long-term starter. Then Alexei Melnichuk, who looked to have a very high ceiling coming from Russia, struggled in the AHL this year, posting a brutal .868 save percentage in 17 games. Both are young but neither really projects to be a long-term starter.

For San Jose to turn things around they’ll need a high-end starting goalie and Wallstedt could be the solution. The thing is, the Sharks have so many holes in their lineup and such a thin prospect pool that everything is an area of need. While they desperately need to improve goaltending, as long as the team is poor defensively, it may not matter who they have in net.

At seventh overall, the Sharks will have their pick of one of the top skaters in this draft, with at least one of Brandt Clarke, Simon Edvinsson, William Eklund, Dylan Guenther or Luke Hughes guaranteed to be available. Considering the Sharks are in a position to pick a high-end skater instead, they do have options.

As a result, while Wallstedt is an possibility, he’s certainly not the only option, as a high-end forward or defensemen would also go a long way for the team.



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OTHER ARTICLES FROM JULY

Should the Sharks look to trade Tomas Hertl?
Who will the Sharks lose in the Expansion Draft?
Breaking down the Sharks’ cap situation
Looking into a potential rebuild for the Sharks
Revisiting the Erik Karlsson trade three years later

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