While Macklin Celebrini’s record-breaking sophomore season and Will Smith’s growth received the majority of the attention around the San Jose Sharks this season, Collin Graf quietly showed his value on their wing and on the penalty kill.
Graf, an undrafted forward out of Quinnipiac University, isn’t the most flashy player, nor is he going to compete for a Rocket Richard Trophy or even a Selke. He does his job, and he does it effectively. It’s not easy to play alongside one of the NHL’s best, yet he’s been able to do it with little issue despite very little NHL experience.
Graf just completed his first full season at the NHL level, and he showed that he’s here to stay. The 23-year-old winger played 81 games for the Sharks this season, scoring 21 goals and 46 points. While he didn’t spend the entire season alongside Smith and Celebrini, it was the most common combination for each individual player.
Graf spent 24.2% of his total even-strength ice time alongside the Sharks’ dynamic duo. It seemed like no matter how many times Ryan Warsofsky tried to change things up, sooner or later Graf found his way back to the first line.
Although Graf is far from a conventional first-line winger, his game complements Smith and Celebrini very well. Much like how Chris Kunitz was a mainstay alongside Sidney Crosby in the early-to-mid 2010s, Graf’s skill set creates opportunities for those around him.
“[Graf is] just so smart. The way he thinks the game, and he always has his head up looking for plays,” Celebrini said when asked why they work so well together. “That's something that me and Will like to do [as well]. We like to make plays and read off each other. He also has a great stick, and he's able to make those plays.”
Smith and Graf have been familiar with one other dating back to their collegiate days; as a result, Smith doesn’t seem overly surprised by how well Graf has adjusted to the NHL. “He was awesome. He put up some big numbers. I played against him in college, and he was great there, so I knew what we were getting when he signed here,” Smith said. “Playing with him is great too. He's really smart and has an unbelievable stick.”
Graf is a capable player offensively, but where he truly shone this season was on the penalty kill. He emerged as one of the most valuable players on the Sharks in that regard. As a whole, the Sharks’ penalty kill and overall defensive play struggled mightily during the 2025-26 season, but they have evidently found a diamond in the rough. Of course, that defensive responsibility also transfers over to five-on-five play, which allows Celebrini and Smith to focus on what they do best, generating offense.
“[Graf] obviously had a really good year. No one probably predicted 21 goals,” Warsofsky said. “[He] did a lot of good things. He was the first guy with the boards on our penalty kill [and has a] good stick. [He was] more of a guy who was slated as a checking line forward and moved up at times. We will see where his ceiling is.”
As a player who had the odds stacked against him after going undrafted, Graf’s work ethic is another major aspect of his game that stands above the rest. “He's awesome, really good kid who comes to work every single day, and [is] just a really good guy to be around,” veteran winger Tyler Toffoli added. “To see the success that he had this year was something special, and he's obviously going to continue to get better, and he wants to be better.”
Graf is a pending restricted free agent, as his entry-level contract will expire on July 1, but based on general manager Mike Grier’s comments, it seems there’s nothing to worry about. “He's finding his way. He's finding a role,” Grier said. “So he's definitely someone that we'd like to get something done with and have him be a part of the future.”
While the majority of the hype around the Sharks will continue to center around Celebrini, Smith, and possibly a couple of others, Collin Graf has the potential to be a key role player for the organization for years to come.