BUFFALO — Here’s what I’m hearing, San Jose Sharks-related, at the 2026 Draft in Buffalo on Friday.
The San Jose Sharks have, as of 3 PM ET, three picks in the first round, No. 2, 9, and 27.
“They are looking for D,” one source tells San Jose Hockey Now.
That’s rather obvious, of course, because they have just two defensemen signed right now, Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson, and two RFA blueliners, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Michael Kesselring.
Of course, they’re not looking for just any defenseman. So while I believe their first-rounders would be in play for the right blueliner — 20-something and high-impact — there’s not a lot of that out there in the open market. There aren’t a lot of Bo Byram types out there, and while the Chicago Blackhawks overpaid to acquire him from the Buffalo Sabres, fact is, the Blackhawks are a better team with him than with the No. 4 pick, at least right now.
Not that I’m saying that the San Jose Sharks should’ve offered up the No. 2 for Byram, but that trade speaks to the lack of young, high-impact defensemen on the market. That scarcity leads me to believe that the Sharks will make the No. 2 and 9 picks.
So who will they pick? This is a running diary that I will add to, until the beginning of the Draft.
10:55 AM
“Stenberg lock at No. 2,” a source told SJHN. “They covet Rudolph. Doubt he’s at No. 9.”
Yesterday, another source projected that the 2026 Draft would go, barring any trades and in this order, Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid, Caleb Malhotra, and Alberts Smits.
1:23 PM
If not Daxon Rudolph, could Keaton Verhoeff fall to No. 9? A source believes that Reid, Carson Carels, and Smits seem to have defined themselves as the top-three defensemen in this draft.
“They love [Verhoeff],” a source told SJHN. Another source corroborated this, that Verhoeff believes that San Jose could be a destination.
If the San Jose Sharks like both Rudolph or Verhoeff, they could just stay put at No. 9, and hope that one falls to them. Gavin McKenna, Stenberg, Malhotra, Reid, Carels, and Smits should be long gone by No. 9. If San Jose is counting on one of Rudolph or Verhoeff, they’ll likely need a team to pick small-but-mighty center Viggo Bjorck in the top-eight.
6:30 PM
As I mentioned on @SiriusXMNHL, and as @FriedgeHNIC & @reporterchris have reported, Peterka to Boston is coming. Not officially done yet, but they’ve agreed.
Also, on Werenski. Told Sharks are poking there.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 26, 2026
This might be the only “available” defenseman worth the No. 2. I buy this. Checking around on this.
