The virtual coin toss of the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft is now over, and the San Jose Sharks are a better team than they were when it started. Rather than a first-round pick, the team made a big trade with the Minnesota Wild, sending along said first-round pick (28th overall), Charlie Coyle and Devin Setoguchi in exchange for Brent Burns and a 2012 second-round pick. So if you lot that in with their draft, they had themselves a pretty good haul.
If you don't lot that in, things are about as murky as they always seem when it comes to guys who are quite a way away from contributing. That being said, it would appear as though the Sharks went after the kinds of guys they usually target, and there's some promising names in here. Let's get to looking at the prospects selected on day two of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. We'll have more full breakdowns of each pick later, but for now, a quick look:
Matthew Nieto, Forward (47th overall) - This was a pick that needed to be made, especially with Charlie Coyle being traded to the Twins. The Sharks need more forward prospects, and Nieto most definitely fits the bill. We had a full update on that pick before.
Justin Sefton, Defenseman (89th overall) - Sefton is one of those extremely physical guys that Doug Wilson likes. He was initially regarded as somebody who could go earlier than he did, especially a couple years ago, but his hype did reach pretty high levels at one point. If the Sharks can set him right and he performs at levels proportional to his hype, he'll be a steal.
Sean Kuraly, Forward (133rd overall) - Kuraly continues the trend of physicality, and he remains a solid forward prospect. In one interview in particular, he noted that he models his game after Mike Fisher:
I try to model my game after someone like [Nashville Predators centre] Mike Fisher," adds Kuraly, whose parents, Jane and Rick, the latter a Miami of Ohio alum, originally hail from the Toronto area. "I watch him and I like the way he plays both ends of the ice - hard, physical and a character guy."
Daniil Sobchenko, Center (166th overall) - This is a vintage Sharks pick, because Sobchenko is a center who really can do everything, and aside from the fact that he is really raw, you have to feel good about this one. His fundamentals are top notch, the adjustment to higher levels of play will obviously take time, but he won't have to re-learn many of mechanics like passing and stability.
Dylan Demelo, Defenseman (179th overall) - Another one of those offensive defensemen, Demelo is a guy who plays safe who may need to step it up at his current level and take some more risks with the puck to really make an impression.
Colin Blackwell, Center (194th overall) - Blackwell is incredibly productive ... at his level of play. Still, you can't teach the kind of instincts he has, and anyone as productive as he has been is a guy you take a flyer out on in the seventh round.