Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.
Sam Dickinson certainly had a solid season in 2023-24, finishing fourth among OHL defensemen in scoring and helping London reach the Memorial Cup championship game.
But he also had to deal with the pressure every player feels in his NHL draft season. But those feelings were alleviated when the San Jose Sharks selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
A more relaxed Dickerson has his focus solely on playing, and the result has been a dominant start to the season.
Dickinson leads OHL defensemen in goals (13), assists (27) and points (40) in 23 games. He's tied for third in the league in scoring among all players, and is tied for the OHL lead with eight power-play goals.
"It's obviously a little bit of a different season, maybe a little more relaxed not having to worry about some of those [draft-related] things," Dickinson said. "But for me, it's always just been about focusing on hockey and kind of not really trying to let the outside noise and the outside stuff kind of get into my head.
"So I think that's been a big focus for this year, leaving the outside stuff for a different time, not worrying about it, especially when I'm showing up to the rink for practices, for games, whatever it may be. Just kind of leaving the outside noise, focusing on myself and on the team, and just kind of worrying about hockey and the London Knights and how I can help the team win as many games as possible."
Dickinson has done most of that with his offensive ability. He had 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) during a 13-game point streak that ended Nov. 24. He has at least a point in 20 games, including a six-point game (one goal, five assists) in a 6-5 win at Saginaw on Nov. 23; it was the first six-point game by a defensemen since Pavel Mintyukov for Saginaw on March 11, 2022.
It also was one of Dickinson's 10 multipoint games, and he has two hat tricks.
But more than the offense, the Sharks have been impressed by other details in Dickinson's game.
"Obviously you want players to put up numbers and be successful," San Jose director of player development Todd Marchant said, "but it's some of the little things that we've been working on with Sam, with going back for pucks, on retrievals, shoulder checking and those sorts of things that you really need to have if you want to play in the National Hockey League."
Marchant and the Sharks development staff were able to but a plan in place for Dickinson earlier than other prospects because they were able to watch him last season.
"In a player development role you don't get a chance to see the players a lot usually in their draft year, but we did because we had another player in London in [forward] Kasper Halttunen," Marchant said. "So when he was available to us at No. 11, we were ecstatic. We were very, very happy."
Dickinson is just as happy to be part of what San Jose is building with a young core that includes forwards Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft, and Will Smith, the No. 4 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. He got a preview during training camp, when he got into two preseason games, and is hungry to do what it takes to get even more as soon as next season.
"Getting in those preseason games and all that, it was an unbelievable experience, and kind of gave you a bit of a realization of really how close I could be to potentially playing in San Jose and in the NHL real soon," Dickinson said. "I think the big thing for me when I was getting in those games was taking everything in, seeing the speed, the strength, the physicality, how fast the game is played at that level. It was huge for me to kind of play at that speed and play at that level. A big thing for me was when I came back [to London] was continuing to play at the speed and at the level that was played in those preseason games."
The Sharks have seen that and more from Dickinson and are just as excited about his future.
"The National Hockey League has the best players in the world, and that's something that every young player strives to get to," Marchant said. "Sam is no different. You look at some of the things that he's able to do, both from an offensive standpoint and a defensive standpoint ... he's one of those guys that just wants to be the best that he can be every single night. And we're seeing that firsthand."
OTHERS TO WATCH
Nick Lardis, RW, Brantford: The Chicago Blackhawks prospect had three assists for Brantford in a 7-3 win at Oshawa on Friday to give him 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) during an 11-game point streak. His 23 goals this season tie him for the OHL lead. The 19-year-old forward, selected in the third round (No. 67) of the 2023 draft, has 39 points (16 assists) in 23 games.
Juraj Pekarcik, LW, Moncton: The St. Louis Blues prospect had his first two-goal game in Moncton's 5-3 win at Baie-Comeau on Nov. 23. The 19-year-old also had an assist to give him 10 points (four goals, six assists) during a seven-game point streak. Selected by the Blues in the third round (No. 76) of the 2023 draft, Pekarcik has 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 22 games.
Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George: The Washington Capitals prospect scored a goal in Prince George's 3-2 loss at Red Deer on Friday and has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) during a five-game point streak, but the No. 17 pick of the 2024 draft has been on a month-long hot streak. In his past 14 games, dating to Oct. 16, the 18-year-old has 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists), with at least a point in 13 games and nine multipoint games.
