The San Jose Sharks added some size and skill to their prospect pool Wednesday night by selecting Sudbury Wolves left winger Quentin Musty with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the NHL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee.

Musty, listed at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds on the Wolves’ website, had 78 points in 53 regular season games, with most of his production coming at even strength after he missed some time this season with an injury.

Musty played for Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament and had five points in four games. With the Wolves, Musty enjoyed an 18-game point streak early in the season in which he had 35 points.

Going into the draft, Musty was ranked as high as No. 12 by Elite Prospects, No. 20 by Daily Faceoff, and No. 25 by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

“He has size, reach, he has the skill, he can score goals,” said Chris Morehouse, the Sharks’ director of amateur scouting, of Musty.

“Certainly in the second half of the year, he took off a little bit in February. When you have that type of package and when you see him, he’s a big boy. We’re just thrilled to have that talent along with the size, the reach, and the ability to score.”

Musty said he had about 60 or 70 friends and family in Nashville for the event.

“There were some serious sweat stains going,” Musty said of the wait. “Obviously the nerves are going, just trying to get through and it was a big relief hearing my name called, and getting to spend that moment with my family was great.”

Musty, born in Hamburg, N.Y., could have played for the U.S. National Development team in the USHL but instead chose to play in the OHL — with its more demanding schedule — after Sudbury made him the league’s top pick in the 2021 Priority Selection.

‘I haven’t looked back on it,” Musty said of going to Ontario. “They’re the reason I’m here, the coaches I’ve had there and the teammates, especially, they’re part of the reason I’m here right now and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino noted that Musty has some “pushback” in his game, an element the Sharks feel they’re more in need of as an organization. While the Sharks have some bigger forwards in their system, they don’t necessarily have someone who plays with a certain attitude San Jose covets.

“Regardless of size, we want all our players to have pushback,” said Scott Fitzgerald, the director of player personnel. “That’s a main component of what we’re trying to do here, is have competitive skill, regardless of your size. I mean, it’s a prerequisite.”

GRIER ON MICHKOV: Musty’s selection came about 2 1/2 hours after the Sharks took center Will Smith at No. 4 overall. That was after Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli went first, second, and third overall to Chicago, Anaheim, and Columbus, respectively.

The Sharks at No. 4 also had the option of taking Russian winger Matvei Michkov, thought by some to be the second-most skilled player available behind Bedard, or David Reinbacher, thought to be the best defenseman in the draft.

Michkov has been an offensive dynamo at almost every level he’s played at so far. Following a stagnant start to this season with St. Petersburg, Michkov was loaned to Sochi of the KHL. His game blossomed in a new location, as he finished with 20 points in 27 games, reaffirming his status as one of this year’s top draft-eligible players.

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But Michkov’s contract with SKA-St. Petersburg — which prevents him from coming to North America until 2026 — and his country’s current geopolitical situation, especially in light of recent events, could have given some teams pause.

It’s also unclear whether Michkov made it known to prospective suitors that he would prefer to be taken by one of a few select teams, and Grier wouldn’t confirm whether he actually spoke with Michkov. Could he afford to take such a big risk, knowing how vital this draft pick was to the future of the team?

Michkov, a potential future cornerstone for any franchise, instead went seventh overall to the Philadelphia Flyers, passed over also by the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. Montreal took Reinbacher at No. 5.

“We had some concerns,” Grier said about Michkov. “He’s a special talent on the ice, there’s no doubt about that. Super skilled, can do things a lot of other players can’t. But were some things that we weren’t completely satisfied with to be able to take someone with a fourth overall pick.”