Who is the Sharks Best Draft at Two?
Let's Look at the Sharks Selection at Number Two
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is two days away and we can assume that the San Jose Sharks will select Macklin Celebrini with the first pick.
We at the Forgotten Sports wanted to start a countdown leading to June 28 at the Sphere in Las Vegas looking back at the best picks, if applicable, in Sharks history at the number of days remaining before the draft.
Today we look at three picks the Sharks had at number two, Pat Falloon, Patrick Marleau, and Andrei Zyuzin. Let’s start with the former, Pat Falloon, who was the first-ever draft pick by the Sharks in 1991. Who was the player selected ahead of Falloon? Eric Lindros by the Quebec Nordiques.
Falloon played five seasons in teal, totaling 258 games and 162 points (76 goals and 86 assists). His best season statistically was his rookie year when he had 59 points (25 goals and 34 assists).
Falloon was traded on November 16, 1995, to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 1996 first-round pick, later traded to Phoenix and became Daniel Brière, a fourth-round pick in 1996, and Martin Špaňhel. The Sharks later flipped the picks and Václav Varaďa to the Buffalo Sabres for Doug Bodger. Bodger spent parts of three seasons in San Jose.
Defenseman Andrei Zyuzin was selected second overall in the 1996 NHL Draft, and Chris Phillips went first overall to the Ottawa Senators. Other notable players in this draft? Daniel Brière, Zdeno Chara and Matt Cullen.
Zyuzin spent two seasons in San Jose and played in 81 games, totaling 17 points (nine goals and eight assists). On April 1, 1999, Zyuzin was suspended for the remainder of the 1998-1999 season for leaving the team without permission.
Zyuzin was later traded on August 4, 1999, with Shawn Burr, Steve Guolla and Bill Houlder to the Tampa Bay Lightning for 3rd round draft pick in 2000 and Niklas Sundström.
Patrick Marleau was drafted with the second pick in the 1997 draft by the Sharks, behind only Joe Thornton, who was taken first overall by the Boston Bruins.
The history of Patrick Marleau with the organization is well documented as he is the franchise’s all-time leader in points (1111), goals (552), and games played (1607). Marleau’s number 12 is the first number retired by the organization.
Marleau was not announced for the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame when the announcement came out Tuesday, but rest assured, he will be in sooner than later.
I wanted to document that Pat Falloon was taken second by the Sharks in 1991 but the clear and obvious answer is Patrick Marleau for everything he has meant to the organization and the city of San Jose.