Immediate response to the Sharks' number 11 within the NHL Draft

The Sharks have their future No. 1 center.

And now additionally they have their future No. 1 defender.

I'm sure the Sharks didn't expect 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman Sam Dickinson to be on the board after they chosen No. 11. After all, he was expected to be the third defenseman chosen on Friday – probably in the highest seven.

But when he was ranked eleventh and there have been already 4 defensemen on the roster, the Sharks didn't hesitate to take him.

It's a simple, logical selection that provides incredible value to the Sharks. Dickinson, a left-handed defenseman for the London Knights, was the runner-up within the Memorial Cup and provided the very best power play within the OHL with great passing and fluid skating, scoring 70 points last season.

Because of his extremely powerful shot and connection to London, Dickinson has been in comparison with Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.

There are definitely worse comparisons. And I can see that on offense, but defensively it underestimates the child. He's shown a powerful sense of the little things that make a huge impact in rush defense, and while he doesn't show much grit within the defensive zone, he definitely has the dimensions to get forward from his spot.

I'm fascinated by how well he can play when he's not on the ice for greater than half-hour per game. He will need to have slowed down in London.

He's not perfect. He seemed a bit confused at times when he was starting his breakout season with the Knights, but after his seventeenth season, it's not such as you're drafting a finished product anyway.

With the signing of Celebrini and Dickinson, the Sharks now have arguably the very best talent pool within the NHL.

However, this team still needs a top-tier right guard. Perhaps that's the case for the team's two first-round picks in 2025.

Since Friday, the Sharks' top defensemen – Shakir Mukhamadullin, Henry Thrun and Luca Cagnoni – are all left-handed, as is Dickinson.

If it is a problem, we'll discover soon enough.

There are few players within the NHL today who can move like Dickinson, let alone be the dimensions of a defender that might give him a bonus once he steps on the ice as an expert.

Is the remainder of his game ready for the NHL?

I can imagine a world where he comes back and dominates the OHL next season.

I may see him playing plenty of minutes next season for the San Jose Barracuda within the AHL. The Sharks are using the identical development model for Dickinson as they did for Mukhamadullin, who played 67 games for the 'Cuda over the past two seasons.

Regardless, the Sharks expect Dickinson to turn into a key player for the franchise within the not too distant future.

And all in all, with Celebrini – a future superstar – and now Dickinson – who you possibly can easily see as an “underrated winner” – it was an incredible day for the Sharks in Las Vegas.

Here's to just a few more of those in the approaching years.