Sam Dickinson has played eight NHL games for the San Jose Sharks this season and held his own. <\/p>\n
The 19-year-old doesn\u2019t have a point yet in his young NHL career, but he\u2019s not worried about that. Dickinson doesn\u2019t appear to be playing his ninth game of the season on Thursday, but that\u2019s not certain. Once the Sharks deploy their top prospect in his ninth game, the team must decide to either keep him in the NHL all season or send him back to the OHL.<\/p>\n
While he understands the decision is out of his control, Dickinson feels he\u2019d be a better fit to be in the NHL for the long haul.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s just more to be learned here for anybody. I think for me personally, I\u2019d like to say that this is the place for me, and that I\u2019m prepared to make the jump to this level full-time,\u201d Dickinson said on Wednesday. \u201cBut again, that\u2019s not my decision and out of my hands. \u201cEvery game, every day, every practice, just work as hard as I can, compete and prove that I\u2019m able to stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Warsofsky said nothing has been finalized in terms of keeping Sam Dickinson with the Sharks past the nine game threshold. Same with Michael Misa\u2014 Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) October 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n As much as the San Jose Sharks defenseman wants to stay, his play needs to back up his words. As it stands, Dickinson is holding his own and then some. Sure, he wants points, but even he knows defense comes first.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a defenseman, so I better be pretty good at defense,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cThat\u2019s been a big thing for me. Making sure I can defend first. My offense has always come from good defending and good defensive plays.\u201d<\/p>\n According to MoneyPuck.com, Dickinson\u2019s underlying numbers indicate he\u2019s been slightly unlucky on offense. The Sharks\u2019 d-man has the highest on-ice expected goals percentage at 53.1%.<\/p>\n If Dickinson is already producing positive analytical results, it is only a matter of time before he starts impacting the game offensively. His confidence will grow, and production will follow.<\/p>\n Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.<\/p>\n \u2013 Gaudette is a surprise to me given his career impact. Dickinson has done everything a player can do individually at the Junior hockey level. From being named team MVP, OHL Defenseman of the year<\/a>, or being named to Team Canada\u2019s World Junior team, Dickinson has done it. <\/p>\n Going back to play in the OHL could also hurt the defenseman\u2019s development. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky<\/a> says the front office is keeping that front of mind as they have discussions about where Dickinson will play.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of it is habit-based. Can we get the habits trending in the right direction? Nothing against the OHL, but you can go there and he plays 35 minutes a night, you can really create some bad habits by doing that,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201c[He] can kind of get away with a lot there that you can\u2019t get away with here in the NHL. That\u2019s something that we\u2019ll have conversations about.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether it is watching film, looking at analytics, or just experiencing different plays in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks must continue to give Dickinson the tools to become a successful NHL defenseman.<\/p>\n Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the really good traits I have is [that] I learn quickly. Anytime I\u2019m told something from the coaches, I take it and process it. Process it quickly and try to implement it into my game as quickly as possible,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cHabits here are a huge thing with just being in the right spot. It\u2019s definitely been an adjustment, but something that I think I\u2019ve prepared well for.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on\u00a0Sharks Hockey Digest<\/a>! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest<\/a>!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u2013 Klingberg has been as bad as you think he’s been.
\u2013 Misa has been stellar in limited minutes.
\u2013 Celebrini, Liljegren with some work to do still
\u2013 What a start for Sam Dickinson pic.twitter.com\/6HejYtKtYi<\/a>\u2014 rooster trick (@FowleBall15) October 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n