After giving him an AHL tryout deal in April, the San Jose Sharks have announced that they have signed defenseman Gannon Laroque to his full entry-level contract. Sharks interim GM Joe Will gave the following statement about Laroque as part of the team’s announcement:
Gannon had a very strong season with Victoria and was arguably the most improved prospect in our system. He has displayed an impressive blend of steady, defensive play matched with an ability to generate offense. We’re excited about working with him to continue his development.
Will noted that Laroque was possibly the Sharks’ “most improved” prospect, and he’s probably right. Laroque, 18, had a draft year with the Victoria Royals where he didn’t produce a significant amount of offense, posting only 7 points in 21 games. This season, after going 103rd overall to the Sharks, Laroque found another gear to his game and put up 52 points in 63 games. The Royals didn’t have the best season, going 23-39-6, but Laroque was one of the bright spots on the team and grew into being their most important defenseman.
Laroque stands at six-foot-two, 190 pounds, and has made himself into a threat on the offensive side of the ice. The improvements to his game show why the Sharks drafted him just outside of the top-100, and Laroque earning his entry-level deal and getting into a few AHL games before he even turns 19 is a testament to how fast his prospect stock has risen. Laroque will in all likelihood return to Victoria next season and hope to have another strong WHL campaign.