Mario Ferraro says he models his game after Drew Doughty, but a comparison to Brent Burns might be more apt. The offensive-minded defenseman scored 8 goals and 33 assists, ranking him second on his team and second among USHL defensemen this past season with the Des Moines Buccaneers.
He also caught the attention of the Sharks. Though rankings had Ferraro somewhere in the third round or later, the Sharks reached to take him in the second round at 49th overall in the 2017 draft. With their next pick at 123rd overall, the second round was the Sharks’ best chance to land the blueliner.