Sharks add NCAA top scorer
SAN JOSE » Forward John Leonard has agreed to turn professional and join the San Jose Sharks, the team announced Tuesday.
Leonard, the Sharks’ sixth round draft choice in 2018, finished his junior season at UMassAmherst with 37 points, including an NCAA Division !-best 27 goals, in 33 games.
“John is a high-end shooter who is creative with the puck,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. “He took big steps in both his fitness level and all-around game and became one of the most dominant offensive players in college hockey this season. We are excited to see his continued growth as a member of the Sharks organization.”
The announcement comes a day after the Sharks agreed to terms with defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, one of the NCAA’s most sought-after free agents. Pasichnuk had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 36 games for Arizona State this past season and reportedly had as many as 20 teams interested in his services.
“Brinson is an excellent puck moving defenseman with a physical brand of hockey,” Wilson said in a separate statement. “As captain for the Sun Devils program for two seasons under Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers, he is a great teammate and proven leader. We are happy to have him join our organization.”
Leonard, 21, a former college teammate of Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar at UMass, is a finalist this year for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey’s top player. Makar won the award last season when UMass advanced to the national championship game.
In three years of college hockey, Leonard, an Amherst, Mass. native, had 105 points (56 goals, 49 assists) in 106 games. He became just the sixth member in the program’s history to reach the 50-goal, 100-point club and the first to reach the milestone as a junior in the Division I Era.
“He’s always scored, and he put up numbers last year, but I think there’s a little more explosion in his skating — he’s taken another step that way,” Sharks assistant general manager Tim Burke told eprinkside.com earlier this year about Leonard. “They’re using him in more situations; he’s playing a full game now. Before, he was just kind of a scorer.
“He’s doing a lot of different things now. I think he’s ready to be a pro.”
Leonard and Pasichnuk could be a important additions to the Sharks in a time of upheaval for the NHL.
Although there is no guarantee they’ll be able to crack the Sharks’ roster next season, their entry-level deals, should they make the big club, might prove welcome if the NHL’s salary cap for 2020-2021 stays flat or even decreases.
With the NHL’s season on pause due to the health crisis surrounding the spread of the coronavirus, teams are incurring significant financial losses -- which in turn affects the total amount of hockey related revenue that is split equally between the league and players.
According to CapFriendly.com, the Sharks have over $67 million committed to 14 players for next season. The Sharks also need to sign a second goalie with Aaron Dell set to become an unrestricted free agent. Kevin Labanc, Joel Kellman, Antti Suomela and Jacob Middleton are among the team’s restricted free agents.