San Jose Sharks: Ranking every draft class from the 2000s

2001 – Six-for-six

Total games played for the Sharks: 1,139 games
Player with the greatest impact for the Sharks: Ryane Clowe (423 games)

This draft saw the Sharks make six draft selections. Amazingly, at one point or another, every one of these picks played a game for the Sharks. Some of the biggest names from this class include center Marcel Goc (20th overall), defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (106th overall), and left wing Ryane Clowe (175th overall).

All three of these players suited up for at least 250 games for San Jose with Clowe playing the most at 423. In those 423 games, Clowe would score 271 points (101 goals, 170 assists).

Although this wasn’t the best draft class by the Sharks in terms of games played for the sharks for this decade, it was definitely the best in regards to the number of players drafted that ended up playing for the team.

2007 – First round and last round only

Total games played for the Sharks: 1,363 games
Player with the greatest impact for the Sharks: Logan Couture (715 games)

The San Jose Sharks had eight picks this year. Out of the eight picks, only four have played any games for the Sharks. Interestingly, these players were either drafted in the first round or the seventh round (last round) of the draft.

These four players are center Logan Couture (ninth overall), defenseman Nicholas Petrecki (28th overall), defenseman Justin Braun (201st overall), and left wing Frazer McLaren (203rd overall).

Both Couture and Braun have both played over 600 games for the Sharks. Couture has suited up for the most games at 715, scoring 546 points (256 goals, 290 assists) over those games so far.

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2005 – Sharks draft some Pickles

Total games played for the Sharks: 1,417 games
Player with the greatest impact for the Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (1,035 games)

San Jose left this draft making eight total picks. Of these eight selections, four have played for the Sharks. These players include right wing Devin Setoguchi (eighth overall), defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (35th overall), goalie Alex Stalock (112th overall), and defenseman Derek Joslin (149th overall).

Of these players, Setoguchi and Vlasic are the only two that have played more than 250 games for the Sharks, with Vlasic playing the most at 1,035. Vlasic is the only player from this decade’s draft classes that has played in at least 1,000 games for the Sharks.

Vlasic made his debut at 19-years-old, just a year after being drafted, and has been a staple for the Sharks’ defense ever since. He truly was one of, if not the best draft pick of the Sharks that decade.

2003 – A diamond in the rough

Total games played for the Sharks: 1,591 games
Player with the greatest impact for the Sharks: Joe Pavelski (963 games)

The 2003 draft saw San Jose make 11 picks, the most by the team that decade. Out of the 11 selections, just four have played for the Sharks. These players being right wing Milan Michalek (sixth overall), right wing Steve Bernier (16th overall), defenseman Matt Carle (47th overall), and center Joe Pavelski (205th overall).

None of these four played more than 317 games for San Jose, except seventh-round pick Joe Pavelski who was with the team until last season. Pavelski amazingly rose through the Sharks system and made his NHL debut three years later.

Over his tenure with the Sharks, Pavelski played in 963 games and scored 761 points (355 goals, 406 assists). He truly proved to be a diamond in the rough and provided what possibly could be unequaled value as a seventh-round pick.

Throughout the decade that was from 2000 to 2009, the San Jose Sharks made some questionable draft choices. They didn’t do too well with first-round picks, but thrived with mid to late-rounders.