Collin Graf has become the Sharks’ Swiss army knife.
The Sharks’ rebuild is not quite finished yet. However, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. Macklin Celebrini has emerged as the leader. The next captain in San Jose. A 19-year-old phenom who has taken Canada and the hockey world by storm with what he has done in Italy.
We also have Will Smith. A shoulder injury sidelined him earlier this season, but he is a star in the making as well. I can easily see Smith making Team USA in the 2030 Olympics. The dynamic duo of Celebrini and Smith could very well lead the Sharks, much like how Steph Curry and Klay Thompson led the Warriors.
But this is not about those two. This is about a guy who still needs his flowers.
That guy is Collin Graf. Sharks fans are starting to see his value, but the national attention is nonexistent.
Credit: San Jose Sharks-Twitter/XGraf has become the Swiss armada for GM Mike Grier and head coach Ryan Warsofsky. He can play anywhere they ask him to. He has skated (and produced) on the top line with Celebrini. He can skate with Zack Ostapchuk and be a lockdown forward on the fourth line.
He has seen power play time and usually starts a penalty kill. No matter the situation, Graf does what is asked of him. Guys like that are rare in the NHL.
So far this season, Graf has 15 goals and 16 assists in 54 games. In addition to the offense, he also has a 2:41 average time on ice while shorthanded. That ranks second among Sharks forwards and fourth overall.
However, Graf will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Sharks do have the inside track to keep Graf around for a while. Even if he does sign with another team this offseason, the Sharks have the choice to match the contract. If they do, then Graf will remain in San Jose.
I do not see it getting to that point, though. I think Grier and Graf’s camps will reach an agreement before free agency begins. Graf is exactly the kind of player Grier wants in San Jose. Grier knows his value and will not let him go very easily.
The Sharks got a steal when they signed Graf as an undrafted free agent.
He has done anything and everything asked of him. And the fans have taken notice.
