The San Jose Sharks are committed to playing the long game. They were a consistent playoff threat for over 15 years, but the last few have been absolutely brutal with them finishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. Recently, the Sharks have made moves to tear down the roster and start over, and this weekend's trade of reigning Norris-winner Erik Karlsson was essentially the final nail in the coffin.

San Jose had been reluctant to go into a full-scale rebuild, but general manager Mike Grier has embraced it over his first year on the job. The Sharks' focus has been on building up their prospect pool, as it should be. To their credit, they've done a good job of building up the future, with one of the better prospect pools in the league.

With offseason programs such as training camp fast approaching, Sharks fans will soon get a much better look at some of their top prospects. Before then, here are three prospects fans should be watching very closely.

3. Shakir Mukhamadullin, D

At the trade deadline, the Sharks made the difficult, but ultimately necessary, decision to trade star forward Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils. While many saw the return as underwhelming, San Jose at least managed to get a first-round pick, two other picks and a solid set of prospects. Of those prospects, Mukhamadullin is the clear standout.

Hailing from Russia, Mukhamadullin was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old isn't an offensive dynamo, but plays solid defense and can eat up minutes on the blue line. In 67 games with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL last season, he recorded six goals and 19 assists. He also played 12 games with the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks' AHL affiliate, recording one goal and nine assists.

Mukhamadullin likely isn't too far off from making his NHL debut, as he already signed his entry-level contract with the Devils in December 2021. With the Sharks embracing the youth movement, look for him to come up soon.

2. Thomas Bordeleau, C

Bordeleau, the No. 38 pick in 2020, is a name that more fans may be familiar with as he actually has made his NHL debut. The Houston native has appeared in 16 games across two seasons, but has just seven assists and is still looking for his first NHL goal (not counting a slick shootout winner).

Still, nearly half a point per game isn't bad for a 21-year-old making his foray into the league.

That said, Bordeleau spent the bulk of last season with the Barracuda and recorded 22 goals and 19 assists. He has strong offensive upside, and could be a regular in the lineup soon.

1. William Eklund, C

The No. 7 overall pick in 2021, Eklund still remains the crown jewel of the Sharks' prospect pool. He has also made his NHL debut, scoring two goals and five assists in 17 games across two seasons. He spent most of last season with the Barracuda, recording 17 goals and 24 assists in 54 games.

The 20-year-old Swede was widely seen as one of the best players in the 2021 class, and it was somewhat surprising the Sharks got him at No. 7. Simply put, Eklund a star in the making and the clear future in San Jose.