Who is the Sharks Best Draft Pick at Three?

Let's Look at the Sharks Selection at Number Three

The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is three 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 two picks the Sharks had at number three, a pair of defensemen Mike Rathje in 1992 and Brad Stuart in 1998. We’ll get this started by profiling Mike Rathje. Rathje was selected behind Alexei Yashin and Roman Hamrlík in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

Rathje spent eleven years in San Jose totaling 155 points (27 goals, 128 assists) in 671 games. In his first season at the NHL level, he was a part of the greatest single-season turnaround in NHL history. His most productive season in teal was the 2002-2003 season, during which he tallied 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists). On August 2, 2005, Rathje signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and finished his career in the 2006-2007 season.

Brad Stuart was selected as the third overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, following David Legwand and Vincent Lecavalier. Stuart played eight years for San Jose totaling 170 points (39 goals, 131 assists) in 486 games. His most productive season with the Sharks occurred in the 2003-2004 campaign, during which he accumulated 39 points (9 goals, 30 assists).

Stuart was traded on November 30, 2005, with Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm to the Boston Bruins for Joe Thornton.

Stuart spent two seasons in Boston before making stops in Calgary and Los Angeles. He won a Stanley Cup in Detroit and then returned to the Sharks before finishing his career in Colorado. Thornton became a key figure in San Jose, and we will highlight him further down the road.

After reviewing all the data presented, it is easy to suggest that Brad Stuart was the better selection by the Sharks at pick three for what he could bring to the team while on the ice and being a part of a deal that netted the franchise one of their key pillars for years to come.

Stay tuned as we will look at the number two selection tomorrow!