Sharks Prospect of the Week: Ryan Merkley

Ryan Merkley has been selected as the 'Sharks Prospect of the Week' for the week of Nov. 18 after posting seven points (two goals, five assists), along with a plus-four rating in three games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Merkley, 19, now leads all OHL blueliners in points-per-game (1.37) after logging a multi-goal outing, including the game-winning goal, as well as two multi-assist contests over the weekend. Over 19 games played this season, he has 26 points (six goals, 20 assists), ranking third on the Knights in that category and second in assists.

Last season, Merkley split the year between the Guelph Storm and Peterborough Petes in the OHL, and the San Jose Barracuda in the Americal Hockey League (AHL). He registered 39 points (five goals, 34 assists) in 28 games for the Storm, 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 25 games for the Petes, and logged two games with the Barracuda. Between his time with the Storm and Petes, Merkley led all OHL defensemen in assists with 57.
The five-foot-11, 170-pound defenseman from Mississauga, Ontario was originally selected by the San Jose Sharks (first round, 21st overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft.