Sharks stockpile first-round picks to build around young core

The San Jose Sharks left the first round of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft with three first-round picks and two more prospects. The draft was held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with the first round on June 26 at 7 p.m. ET and rounds 2-7 set for June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.

San Jose entered the night with the No. 2 pick, then added No. 9 and No. 27 through trades. The No. 9 pick came from Ottawa on June 23 in a deal involving William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda, while No. 27 arrived from Buffalo on June 17 in a trade that also brought defenseman Michael Kesselring to San Jose. The Sharks had won the second drawing in the May 5 draft lottery, keeping them at No. 2 for the second straight year after using that slot on Michael Misa in 2025.

With that second overall selection, San Jose took Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, another addition to a lineup that already includes Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, and Misa. The Sharks have held the No. 2 pick four times in franchise history, including Patrick Marleau in 1997, Andrei Zyuzin in 1996 and Pat Falloon in 1991.

At No. 9, the Sharks passed on trade offers and took Keaton Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-shot defenseman from the University of North Dakota who had six goals and 20 points in 36 games. Verhoeff had been linked to San Jose’s long-range defense plan, especially with 6-foot-3 blueliner Sam Dickinson already in the system after going No. 11 in 2024. Shortly after the pick, Macklin Celebrini called Verhoeff.

The Toronto Maple Leafs held the No. 1 pick for the first time since 2016, the Calgary Flames landed No. 30 through the Noah Hanifin trade from March 6, 2024, and the Colorado Avalanche’s No. 29 pick moved through the Brock Nelson and Brayden Schenn deals before reaching St. Louis. The Blues ended up with four first-round selections, one shy of Montreal’s NHL record five in 1974.