San Jose Sharks News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carl Lindbom and defense Lukas Cormier defend the puck against San Jose Sharks left wing Quentin Musty (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

Sharks’ Quentin Musty Entering a Pivotal Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Alex Hutton | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 3:50 PM ET

While a few San Jose Sharks prospects get most of the attention, plenty more are working towards a spot in the NHL and league-wide recognition. For instance, forward Quentin Musty is entering a crucial season in his career. He will get his best chance yet to show the Sharks his ability and enter the next stage of his journey, proving that he is making progress on his path to the big leagues.

Musty Making Leap From Juniors

As the 26th overall pick in 2023, Musty was considered one of the biggest steals of the first round that year, and he spent the subsequent two seasons showing why that was the case. As a member of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he averaged nearly two points per game in back-to-back seasons after navigating a tense situation in the latter. Now that he has turned 20, he is eligible to join the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) for a full season.

Of course, just because he’s eligible for the Barracuda doesn’t mean he wants to start the season with them. He’d love to make the jump to the NHL if he can, accelerating his career in an unexpected way. He’ll have to turn in a great performance in the rest of the preseason, but he has no reason not to give it a shot.

Whether Musty winds up in the NHL or AHL, either outcome will carry benefits for him and the team. If he does make the Sharks right away, he’ll prove he’s further along in his development than expected and become an even more promising prospect than he already is. If he heads to the Barracuda, he’ll get a chance to work closely with the AHL squad’s developmental coaches while the Sharks will be able to monitor him more closely than they ever have before.

The Sharks have plenty of prospects playing for a lot this preseason, but Musty is using it as a pivot point for his career. One way or another, he should make major advancements, and the only question is how far he’ll get.

Luca Cagnoni Offers Example to Follow

For Musty to better understand what this season can do for him, all he needs to do is look at one of his fellow 2023 Sharks draftees. After being taken in the fourth round, defenseman Luca Cagnoni had a great junior season in 2023-24. Since he’s several months older than Musty, he joined the Barracuda for last season, where he was one of the AHL’s best offensive defensemen and a key piece of the team’s great start. He even got a quick trip to the NHL at the end of the season, registering two assists in six games with the Sharks, and remains one of San Jose’s most noteworthy prospects.

Musty and Cagnoni play different positions, but Musty can still learn a lot from his teammate. Cagnoni recognized how juniors and the AHL could serve as jumping-off points to make strides in his career as soon as he was able to. One year later, Musty is in a very similar spot, getting ready to play a full season with a new team. If the two of them end up on the same team, Cagnoni could serve as one of Musty’s mentors as he tries to recreate Cagnoni’s success.

Musty Looking For Role on Sharks

As the Sharks have built up one of the NHL’s best prospect pools, Musty has flown under the radar due to being selected outside the lottery and having a longer development curve than many of San Jose’s other young players. But that can serve as motivation for his upcoming season and give him even more reason to prove his place with the Sharks. The team has a number of young forwards who have already established themselves in the NHL, but they still need to complete their lineup over the next few seasons, and that’s where Musty comes in. Right now, he can afford to go at the pace that works for him, whatever that turns out to be. If he can use this season to continue on his current trajectory, he could be making an impact at the NHL level very soon.