The Sharks injected a lot of youth into their squad this past 2022-23 NHL season, with top prospects like William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau and Henry Thrun playing a handful of games as the future for San Jose.
If the Sharks want their top prospects to succeed at the NHL level, however, they'll need the right leaders -- which is where players like Mario Ferraro enter the picture.
The defenseman spoke with Sharks Audio Network's Ted Ramey on a recent episode of "Offseason Check In," sharing what past players, such as Joe Thornton and Brent Burns, taught him about being a leader.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"I think that I was very fortunate to play with the guys that I did and to still play with the guys that I do," Ferraro told Ramey. "I learned a lot from guys like [Thornton] and [Burns] in terms of their leadership and their personalities in the room. I think that it's important that everybody in the room feels comfortable and feels open to be themselves and to speak up, and that just makes them better hockey players both on and off the ice.
"So, I look to, with the younger guys coming in, to make them feel involved in the team and know that they have such a large impact on the success of this team. Because even when I came in playing lesser minutes and not playing as much in critical situations of the game, Burnsy and Jumbo and [Logan Couture] and these guys, they all make me feel like an important piece of the team.
"It's a 25-man roster. Everybody counts, and everybody has an impact on our success. And that's the way that I hope that I can have an impact on the younger guys coming in."
RELATED: Where first-round pick Sharks acquired in Timo trade will land
San Jose Sharks
Eklund, Bordeleau and Thrun also could see the Sharks' top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, as San Jose holds the No. 4 overall selection. San Jose could have a lot of young skilled players who will need guidance.
At 24 years old, Ferraro isn't a grizzled veteran, but with how young San Jose could look over the next few seasons, he'll be counted on to lead despite his age.