Sharks Select Merkley with 21st Overall Selection in NHL Draft

DALLAS - With the 21st overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, San Jose Sharks (
@SanJoseSharks
) General Manager Doug Wilson and Director of Scouting Tim Burke selected Defenseman Ryan Merkley (
@ryan_merkley
).
The 17-year-old defenseman recorded 67 points (13 goals, 54 assists), 63 penalty minutes and 144 shots on goal in 63 games with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2017-18. He led all Guelph blueliners and ranked third amongst all OHL rearguards in points, and among defensemen, led his team in goals and ranked second in shots on goal. In six playoff games, he led all team blueliners in points (one goal, five assists) and led the team in penalty minutes (10) and shots on goal (25).
"We spent quite a bit of time on him. He's a unique kid, high-end skill, high risk, high reward," said Wilson. "He's a competitor and has the ability to be a difference maker. When the game is on the line, he wants the puck."

The rearguard has registered 122 points (25 goals, 97 assists), 299 shots on goal and 113 penalty minutes in 125 games with Guelph. In his OHL rookie season (2016-17), Merkley earned the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team after leading all first-year players in assists (43) and points (55) in 62 games.

Internationally, Merkley represented Team Canada at the U-18 World Jr. Championship, leading team defensemen in points (3) and assists (3) in five games played. He was also a member of Team Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, posting six assists in five games.
The five-foot-eleven, 180-pound native of Oakville, Ontario, was named Greater Toronto Hockey League Player of the Year in 2015-16 after recording seven goals and 37 assists in 33 games as the captain of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens Minor Midget AAA team. Consequently, he was the first overall pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

Corey Pronman of The Athletic says of Merkley:
"Merkley is one of the best hockey players at 17 years of age I've ever seen...His offensive IQ is special, and he has all the potential to be one of the best playmakers of his generation."
Merkley was ranked No. 45 overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
The Sharks currently hold six selections on Day Two of the 2018 NHL Draft, which will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m. PT on NHL Network. San Jose is scheduled to make picks in the fourth (114, 123), fifth (139, 145) and sixth (176, 182) rounds.