The San Jose Sharks have reached another agreement with a college star, announcing that John Leonard will be joining the organization. The team did not announce any contract details, likely for the same reasoning as Brinson Pasichnuk earlier today—it’s unclear whether the contract will start in 2019-20 or 2020-21. Still, Sharks GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on the young forward:
John is a high-end shooter who is creative with the puck. He took big steps in both his fitness level and all-around game and became one of the most dominant offensive players in college hockey this season. We are excited to see his continued growth as a member of the Sharks organization.
Leonard, 21, recently finished his junior season at UMass-Amherst and is a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award after scoring 27 goals and 37 points in 33 games. Originally selected 182nd overall by the Sharks in 2018, he has quickly shown that his offensive ability can be relied upon even if the rest of his game is still a work in progress.