San Jose Sharks
· 2026-06-29
The San Jose Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg second overall in the 2026 NHL Draft to kick off their weekend.
The Swedish winger is projected to make an immediate impact and could fill a top-six role for the Sharks as soon as this season.
The Sharks were lucky enough to have one of the top defensemen in the draft drop to them with the ninth overall pick, selecting Keaton Verhoeff.
Verhoeff had some struggles adapting to the collegiate game, but a large portion of that can be contributed to his age.
The Sharks added their second right-handed defenseman of the night, selecting Ryan Lin from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
Lin likely dropped due to the fact that he's 5-foot-11, as many have said that he has the potential to be the steal of the draft.
The Sharks currently stand 11th in the Western Conference with a 39-35 record, on a W1 streak.
The Sharks then had a bit of time to relax, as they didn't have another pick until the fourth round.
That didn't stop Mike Grier from getting some work done in the meantime though, as he signed forward Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract extension.
The Sharks selected a goaltender, Brady Knowling, from the United States National Team Development Program with the 127th overall pick.
Knowling will be moving around quite a bit in the near future, as he's currently expected to head to the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit for the 2026-27 season.
The Sharks selected San Jose native, and San Jose Junior Sharks alumnus, Jake Gustafson from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.
Gustafson's father is a high-ranking executive in the Sharks organization, mainly in regards to the San Jose Barracuda, the SAP Center, and Sharks Ice.