No. 14 on the top 20 is yet again another defenceman, but this player is newer to the Oilers system, and that’s Zack Sharp. He was acquired alongside Shakir Mukhamadullin in the trade that sent longtime Oiler Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks. General manager Stan Bowman insisted on Sharp being included in the deal.

The Western Michigan defender was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. However, Sharp was born in March 2005, meaning his first chance to be selected was in 2023.

During his first draft eligible season, the left-shot defenseman was playing in the USHL and split time between the Sioux Falls Stampede (37 games with four goals and six points) and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (20 games with one goal and six points). Sharp was ultimately looked over in the 2023 NHL Draft, and for the 2023-24 season, he returned to the RoughRiders, where he put up eight goals and 25 points, which is more than double what he put up during the prior season.

For the 2024-25 season, Zack Sharp took his talents to Western Michigan University and played in 42 games, scoring five goals and nine points as a freshman. Now stop me if you’ve already heard this, but the Broncos defenseman in his second year put up five goals and 19 points in 37 games, which happens to be more than double his point total the year before.

In my viewings, there wasn’t much power play time at all for Sharp, but he was getting some penalty killing opportunities.

Much like Damien Carfagna, I am a big fan of the mobility that Sharp possesses. The six-foot-two defenseman shows great mechanics: knees are over his toes, a strong first two-steps, a long stride but gets back to the middle quickly, and a good hinge at the hips.

I do think his edge work needs a bit of tweaking, as Sharp will lose his balance and sometimes can look a little awkward when needing to use his outside edges to make a quick cut, but in open space his skating is excellent. Below is a good clip showcasing his skating ability.

At the start, you can see Sharp’s turn looks a little slow on his left outside edge, compared to when he is in full flight using his crossovers. When players are skating at him, the Broncos defender is able to angle them and hold a good gap, as you can see below.

The point about his outside edges is a bit picky, but that’s because the rest of his skating is very well-rounded. I see a pathway for it to be a strength for him at the professional levels. Some added strength on Sharp’s 194-pound frame could help his outside edge work, or it could just improve naturally.

Much like Carfagna, the skating is an asset, but what else can you do with it? That leads us into another area of Sharp’s game I would consider a strength: his ability to jump into a rush and rush the puck. Watch the clips below and we will have a chat about them after.

In the first two clips above, the Broncos perform what I know as a “hitch” play, where the strongside defender drops the puck off to his partner, who has some speed built up. Sharp excels at this play and it is widely used across many leagues, but it’s not only this certain play he excels at in the transition game.

The former fourth-rounder is always looking to get up ice and gain the zone, sometimes via a dump-in, but more often to carry the puck and navigate the pressure for an offensive zone entry. However, his passing ability lags behind what he is able to do when carrying it. One of the Oilers’ newest prospects always wants to go up ice and it can cause him to rush a decision or put himself in a bad spot. Below is a clip showcasing my point above.

This clip shows the good and the bad of Sharp. The first half of the clip shows just how active he is all over the ice, but then instead of regrouping, Sharp tries to force a pass to a covered winger and it results in an icing call. It’s okay to slow the game down sometimes.

As I stated in the prior sentence, the American defender is active all over the ice and always looking to impact the play one way or another. Below are some final clips showing just how active Sharp can be.

There is no bad time to jump into the action for Sharp. He isn’t scared to take risks and activate instantly as the weak-side defender. I like the athleticism and range the former San Jose draft pick brings to the game. Defensively, he is able to stick on you, and offensively, he can fly by you if caught flat-footed.

Sharp just turned 21-years-old in March and is playing for a contract next season, as the Oilers have to sign him by June 2027. If we see another point jump, I think there is a great argument for Sharp to get an entry-level deal. If you are willing to teach and be patient with Sharp, I think there is a good third-pairing defenceman waiting for you in four years, who will use his skating and range effectively on the defensive side, while being able to move the puck in transition.

Now, the third-year Bronco defender needs to improve his passing ability. Some of the decision making can be spotty at times, and Sharp could use some seasoning with his retrievals. But there were a lot more high moments in my viewings than low lights and I’m willing to buy into the raw potential of Sharp.

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