Who Do The Sharks Draft If They Don't Win Draft Lottery?

In a worst-case scenario, the San Jose Sharks can drop to the No. 3 pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft, leaving questions about who they might draft.

Tuesday's Draft Lottery will bring clarity to a season filled with one goal: get the No. 1 pick and draft Macklin Celebrini. There is potential for the Sharks to drop at most two positions, so if they fall to No. 2 or 3, then who could they pick?

Their first option to pick could be Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov. The 6'2, 209 lbs defenseman is seen as one of the most NHL-ready draft prospects. In 38 games during his freshman season at MSU, he scored nine goals and 26 assists.

The NHL's Central Scouting ranks Levshunov as the No. 2 North American skater. His side and play across all areas of the ice make him nearly a lock in the top five of the draft.

Another option could be Denver University's standout defenseman, Zeev Buium. NHL Central Scouting says Buium is the No. 4 North American skater. Buium scored 11 goals and 39 assists in 42 games in his freshman year this year.

Buium's offensive talent is seen in his scoring stats alone. He might not be ready to step right into the NHL, but he shouldn't need much longer at the NCAA level. Unlike Levshunov, Buium is still growing into his body frame. Buium is 6'0, 183 lbs.

In the National Championship game against Sharks top prospect Will Smith's Boston College, Buium displayed his eye-popping offensive skills to set up DU's second goal.

Another option for the Sharks to pick is center Berkly Catton. The centerman is playing in the WHL for the Spokane Chiefs, where he scored 52 goals and 62 assists in 68 games.

Catton's main flaw is something he can't control: his size. At 5'11, 163 lbs, Catton will need to get much stronger before he steps into any level of professional hockey, especially if he is to be an NHL center.

NHL Central Scouting ranks Catton as the No. 8 North American skater, but some other lists have him higher up. Here's what the Athletic's Corey Pronman said about Catton:

"Catton was one of the best players in the WHL this season and was the best player at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer. He is a well-rounded center and a high-end skater, with powerful edge work that will make him very difficult to check in the NHL. His footspeed is strong, but not at the same level as his edges. He's a very skilled puckhandler and a great passer. Catton makes a ton of difficult plays on the move and has a lot of pace in his game. He's not overly physical, but he competes. He wins pucks, gets to the net and can kill penalties. He projects as an excellent top-six center with a chance to be a No. 1 center.

If the Sharks choose to go outside North America, a 6'7 defenseman named Anton Silayev could be an option. Silayev would bolster the Sharks' size-lacking defense prospect list better than any other draft-eligible defenseman.

The d-man played in the KHL last season and is ranked as the No. 1 prospect among European Skaters, according to NHL Central Scouting. At 17, Silayev held his own in Russia's top level of professional hockey, scoring three goals and eight assists in 63 games.

He never looked outmatched defensively, and his skating, combined with his obvious size advantage, allowed him to be successful.

A common theme the Sharks had after this season was that they needed to be "harder to play against." Silayev would help provide that.

At 200 lbs, he has a lot of filling out to do before he can be an NHL regular. His body is not fully developed, so he is a raw, high-upside talent who needs to build parts of his game. While the talent is there, he's not close to the NHL when he gets picked at the draft.

These four prospects are just some of the many options available at No. 2 or 3. Here are two more names GM Mike Grier could look into.

Cole Eiserman:

Tij Iginla: Yes, this is former NHLer Jarome Iginla's son.

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