San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson still doesn’t know his fate for the season after playing his ninth game of the season on Thursday.

The 19-year-old is not eligible to play in the AHL and will either remain with the Sharks or return to the London Knights. Dickinson believes he’s ready for a full-time NHL spot, but he understands the decision isn’t in his hands.

“It would mean everything. This has been my dream for so long,” Dickinson said about potentially sticking in the NHL. “Every kid who plays hockey, his dream is to play in the NHL.

“Just to get a taste of it now is pretty surreal. The opportunity to stay here for the year is potentially right around the corner, and it’s everything that I’ve worked for.”

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Dickinson played 14:51 and finished +1 in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Paired with Shakir Mukhamadullin, San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky thought the pair played well.

“We’ve seen some, some pretty good steps here since, really, the rookie tournament,” Warsofsky said. “He’s done some good things. Obviously, [there are] some things defensively that he needs to continue to work on. But I think he’s done some really good things. He’s trying to get more into the rush, get to his offense. He’s going to be a really good player in this league.”

I asked Sam Dickinson whether he had spoken to Mike Grier at Sharks Ice today:

“I think we said good morning going up the stairs.”— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) October 31, 2025

Warsofsky told reporters that the Sharks have not yet decided on his future. He also didn’t reveal if Dickinson will be in Saturday’s lineup against the Colorado Avalanche.

“He’s here today. We’re taking this thing day by day, game by game, week by week, and he was here today. So that’s good,” Warsofsky said.

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If Dickinson is in the San Jose Sharks lineup on Saturday, his fate will be sealed; he’s an NHL player.

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