Yahoo Sports San Jose Sharks First-Round Pick Stays Hot For London
The great debate heading into the 2024 NHL Draft was which OHL defender would get drafted first, Sam Dickinson or Zayne Parekh. Ultimately, Parekh went ninth overall to the Calgary Flames while Dickinson was taken two picks later by the San Jose Sharks.
So far this season, Dickinson going eleventh overall in the draft looks like an absolute steal for the Sharks. The 2006-born defender leads the Knights with 25 points in 15 games.
His last ten games have been nothing short of awe-inspiring. During that time Dickinson has seven goals and 11 assists for a total of 18 points. He recorded the first hat trick of his OHL career on Saturday against North Bay. As a result of his efforts, he was named the Cogeco Player of the Week.
The dynamic defender scored 70 points last season on the way to being taken eleventh overall in the draft. This season he is on pace to score 110 points which would smash his previous personal high.
That total would be 14 points higher than the 96 points Parekh scored last season on his way to being named CHL Defenseman of the Year.
If anyone doubted that Dickinson had the potential to be a number one defender in the NHL he is proving them wrong. His dynamic play at both ends of the ice has been critical to London's success early in the season.
San Jose scored the top pick in the draft last season and used it to select Macklin Celebrini. The elite forward went straight to the NHL and is expected to turn into one of the top players in the league. With Dickinson romping over the OHL it seems like San Jose has also found their defenseman of the future.
Only time will tell how Dickinson develops, but currently, he projects as an incredibly talented player who excels both offensively and defensively. The sky seems to be the limit for what he can do.
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