BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier had one big wish entering the NHL draft.
“I hope not to be picking at the top of the draft next year,” Grier said at the prospect combine earlier this month. “The group made some strides and improvements. But there’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of long ways to go.”
The benefit of winning the draft lottery and jumping seven spots in the order to No. 2, add in a first-round haul of three
of the top 21 picks, and there’s a growing belief the Sharks will be picking in the back end of the draft sometime soon.
“It was a good day for us,” Grier said following the first round late Friday night. “I think it’s a real good, a real important day for the organization to add three players that we did, that we really think can be part of this for a long, long time.”
With a youth-laden Macklin Celebrini-led core already in place, the Sharks added more promising talent beginning with the No. 2 pick of Sweden left winger Ivar Stenberg. San Jose then selected North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9, and traded up six spots in the order to draft WHL Vancouver play-making defenseman Ryan Lin at No. 21.
Stenberg was in the No. 1 pick discussion before Gavin McKenna went first to Toronto. Stenberg is coming off a season in which the 18-year-old led all teenagers in Sweden’s top league with 11 goals and 33 points in 43 games — the fifth-most ever by a player 18 or younger.
At 17, the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Verhoeff, was the youngest NCAA Division I blue-liner last season, and led all draft-eligible defenseman with 20 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 20 games.
As for Lin, he had 14 goals and 57 points in 53 games, while serving as team captain.
They join a Sharks team that had Celebrini — the No. 1 pick in 2024 — enjoy a breakout season with 45 goals and 115 points, and was a star in representing Canada at the Milan Cortina Games.
“Yeah, Macklin is one of the best in the world,” Stenberg said.
Verhoeff said he experienced goosebumps when Celebrini called to welcome him to San Jose.
“Anytime you hear from a player like that, and all he’s accomplished and achieved, it was incredible. I was a little starstruck,” Verhoeff said. “There’s a special group there with a lot of talent. And the next 10-15 years are going to be pretty special.”
San Jose’s lineup also includes 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa, 2023 No. 4 pick Will Smith and defenseman Sam Dickinson, (No. 11 in 2024).
The Sharks’ trajectory is already pointing up. Though missing the playoffs for a seventh straight season, San Jose went 39-35-8 in finishing fifth in the Pacific Division with 86 points, and only four back of the Los Angeles Kings.
The Sharks' wins and points were the team’s most since last making the playoffs in 2018-19, when they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference finals.
“The foundation has started to be laid,” he said. “And these guys are definitely pieces that we are really excited to add.”
Grier fielded what he called legitimate trade offers for the No. 2 pick, but elected to select Stenberg. And he landed the No. 9 pick in a deal that sent William Eklund to Ottawa — with Stenberg potentially in position to fill that left wing slot.
“He wants the puck. He wants to be the guy to make a difference and make the play,” Grier said of Stenberg. “He’s got some rare traits.”
On Saturday, San Jose re-signed 22-year-old forward Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year, $9.4 million contract.
The Sharks rounded out their draft selections by taking U.S. development team goalie Brady Knowling in the fourth round, WHL Portland center Jake Gustafson in the sixth and OHL North Bay defenseman Alexander Karmanov in the seventh round. At 7-foot-1, the Russian-born and OHL North Bay player is the tallest player ever selected in the NHL draft. He’s committed to going to Penn State in 2027.
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