Nearly eight years ago, the San Jose Sharks made a controversial, and risky, draft pick when they selected defenseman Ryan Merkley in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
Merkley's talent seemed undeniable at the time, he was an offensively-gifted defenseman, who put up incredible point totals at the junior level, and he was also a right-handed defenseman which carries quite a bit of value in its own right.
With that being said, there were concerns about Merkley's character heading into the draft. He earned a suspension for a two-handed slash during his time with the Guelph Storm and was even banished to the locker room by his head coach at one point.
Although Merkley addressed his attitude issues on his draft night, those concerns came to the forefront once during his departure from the Sharks organization. After being benched by San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy in 2023, Merkley requested a trade midseason. Eventually, he got his wish and was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.
Merkley only played 28 games in the Avalanche organization though, as he signed with Kunlun Red Star for the 2023-24 season. He spent two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, split between Kunlun and Avangard Omsk recording 49 points in `112 games. In March of 2025, Merkley departed Avangard Omsk after agreeing to a mutual contract termination.
This season, Merkley was on the move once again. He signed with the Straubing Tigers of the German DEL, recording 10 points in 26 games for his new team. The Tigers qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated by Eisbaren Berlin.
Ironically, had things gone how the Sharks had hoped when they drafted Merkley in 2018, he would be exactly the type of player they're scouring the market for. A right-handed, puck-moving defenseman would be massively beneficial to the Sharks at this stage, but unfortunately, Merkley's story shows that high-risk, high-reward moves don't always pay off.
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