Looking for info on players who made their NHL debut last season. What kind of future outlook do these guys have?
Alexander Chmelevski
Ivan Chekhovich
John Leonard
Josef Korenar
Alexei Melnichuk
Nicolas Meloche
Jeffrey Viel
Brinson Pasichnuk
Fredrik Handemark
Chmelevski spent a lot of time on the taxi squad, playing 32 games between the Sharks and Barracuda. He struggled early (also true last season) but heated up later in the season with the Barracuda after he was moved to wing. He played three of the Sharks last four games and looked much more NHL-ready. His age-adjusted NHLe scoring rates project him to be a 30-40 point player in his prime - roughly a third line player. I expect him to get some serious looks next season that will determine whether he winds up as a third or fourth line player, but I don't expect him to be a full-time NHL player in 21-22.
Chekhovich had a very poor 19-20 season in the AHL and went home to Russia, where he had an excellent season in the KHL before returning to North America. His Barracuda performance wasn't particularly impressive, and he got a few games with the Sharks where he hung in there and showed some offensive flash, but otherwise didn't make waves. His age-adjusted NHLe scoring rates for the last two seasons project him to be a 25-30 point winger in his prime, but he likely doesn't have the skill set to be a fourth line player. He's a third-line winger if he succeeds (and if he really breaks out could be the third wheel on a top-six line), a career European player if he doesn't.
Leonard looked like a rookie, but he has good speed, decent defensive skills, and some offensive talent. He took a nasty hit late in the season and never returned, so hopefully he suffers no long-term ill effects from that. His age-adjusted NHLe scoring rates have never been particularly impressive - he projects to be a 25-30 point winger in his prime, so he's looking like a bottom-six winger. However, he has the defensive acumen to play in a fourth line role, and provides a little bit of scoring punch, so he can play on the third line.
Viel is a fourth line grinder/enforcer. He doesn't have much scoring punch and doesn't appear to play a really strong defensive game - his key skill is hitting other guys, either with his body or his fists. I'm sure he'll keep getting jobs with teams looking for someone to play that role for a few years, but he's never going to be anything more than that.
Händemark didn't really make an impression - he's a fourth line center who didn't look obviously out of place in the NHL, but also didn't do anything to justify keeping his spot either. He went back to Europe and is out of the Sharks' future plans. He has no real upside - he plays a quiet game focused on faceoffs and doesn't do a whole lot to make you remember he was in the game you just watched. I think he stays in Europe.
Meloche got in a few games and looks like he could be a bottom pair defenseman in the NHL - he didn't really make any serious errors, he's reasonably big and can play physically, and he has a decent shot but isn't an offense generator. I think he has a good chance to be the Sharks' #7 defenseman next season and I think has a career as a #6/7 tweener for a few years. He doesn't have the talent to do better than that, but that's better than a bust.
Pasichnuk played a few games with the Sharks, where he was kind of like a defensive equivalent to Händemark - he didn't really do anything to be noticed. On the plus side, that means he didn't really make too many mistakes, but the downside to that is that he didn't really create any offense (though he was never really given much of a chance to do that - no power play time, anchored to the black hole that is Vlasic, etc). He should get a look next season to be the #7, but he's waiver-exempt and I think mostly spends the year with the Barracuda unless the Sharks move on from more than one defenseman or Pasichnuk breaks out.
Korenar looked scrambly and a bit overmatched (sometimes very overmatched), but overall he held his own. He's athletic and not especially large. I think he's got a good chance to be the Sharks' backup next year and possibly has the talent to be an unspectacular NHL backup.
Melnichuk had a lot of hype entering the season, but he only got two real chances with the Sharks (he replaced a shelled Martin Jones for ten minutes in a mid-season game when normal backup Devan Dubnyk was injured) and he did not look good in either - he was hopelessly overmatched and looked uncomfortable in net. I think he spends the season with the Barracuda (barring injury) and the Sharks will reevaluate.