2026 NHL Draft: We won #2! Reid or Stenberg for the win; taking Verhoeff is a drafting sin!

[weastern bias]

Frankly I think Malhotra ends up going before Stenberg

I don't

I think Stenberg goes top-3 and Chicago takes Malhotra at 4

 

[matt trick]

I don't

I think Stenberg goes top-3 and Chicago takes Malhotra at 4

I had thought Van was leaning Malhotra at 3, but now I’m thinking they’d go Stenberg. If both have Stenberg at 2, maybe Grier will get something solid while getting his first choice dman.

Getting 3+33+41 or 4+34+37 while still getting our first choice dman (who admittedly I want over the forwards anyway) is a nice deal. Maybe that and 20 turns into Belchetz/Hemming. Going from Rudolph/Gus and Novotny to Reid/Carels and Belchetz/Hemming would be unreal. Realistically 34+37 may not be enough, but I think it’d be close. Happy to add 62 if it got it over the lines

Get arguably the best D (6’2+) and best PWF (6’4+). For a team that needs size and a high end dman, would be insane to get near BPA with two top 15 picks at our top two main positions of need.

 

[Zarzh]

Agreed. I think Ekblad is a solid comp. When I was saying Pietrangelo early in the thread… that would be his absolute apex outcome and I think that’s always unfair to put on a prospect.

But I don’t see a “Norris” guy. But I do see what they likely saw in Dickinson and in the other confirmed dinner invite (Carels)…. They want war horses. They want guys that will just soak up minutes in all situations.

I don’t know if they prioritize “offensive wizards”, I think they just need these guys to take a beating, all while being mobile and getting the puck up quickly to the forwards.

If they go Reid it will tell me that they do want that offensive wizard. If they shade more towards Verhoeff or Carels, I think we can understand how they envision the backend.

Taking Carels or Verhoeff over Reid or Smits means you have to really trust your scouting, or really like Carels's defense. It's not like Reid or Smits project to be weak defensively.

I do think there's a real concern that Grier's ideal hockey team looks more like Colorado or Toronto with set "scorers" and "checkers" than say Las Vegas or Carolina where everyone is expected to play defense and also be able to score.

 

[themelkman]

Grier is an ex-hockey player, he can't have two dinners in a night?!

They don't call him big Mike for nothing

 

[weastern bias]

They don't call him big Mike for nothing

 

[the dangler]

Would expect that meeting to be a dinner. But until it gets confirmed as a dinner… he could be 1 of 70 (they met with around 70 last year).

I don't think there are 70 dinnertimes left before the draft. If they're going alphabetical order, Voerhoff is hosed edit: guess it's not alphabetical.

 

[SJS1991]

I don't think there are 70 dinnertimes left before the draft. If they're going alphabetical order, Voerhoff is hosed edit: guess it's not alphabetical.

Haha. I mean Sheng said last year that SJS met with 70 prospects at the combine… likely quick little interview style.

They only do 4 dinners.

So my expectation is Stenberg will be one of the remaining 2 dinners unaccounted for. (Carels, Verhoeff, Mystery, Mystery)

If the assumption is they are using dinners this year for their top selection (they clearly didn’t last year, they only had dinner with Schaefer and Misa out of the top 15 that were drafted)….

I would assume the 2 remaining would come from these 3, based on consensus:

Stenberg, Malhotra and Reid.

 

[SJS1991]

Canucks’ dinners

 

[YUPPY]

Haha. I mean Sheng said last year that SJS met with 70 prospects at the combine… likely quick little interview style.

They only do 4 dinners.

So my expectation is Stenberg will be one of the remaining 2 dinners unaccounted for. (Carels, Verhoeff, Mystery, Mystery)

If the assumption is they are using dinners this year for their top selection (they clearly didn’t last year, they only had dinner with Schaefer and Misa out of the top 15 that were drafted)….

I would assume the 2 remaining would come from these 3, based on consensus:

Stenberg, Malhotra and Reid.

Sometimes teams are on the fence about a player, so they take him out to dinner just to see what he's like or ask him about his commitment to God (LOL). That doesn't necessarily mean they'll draft him.

On the player's side, he can accept or decline an invitation from a team he believes has no chance of drafting him. For example, if the Senators at No. 32 invite Stenberg out, he could refuse because he doesn't think they'll have a chance to pick him.

 

[SJS1991]

Sometimes teams are on the fence about a player, so they take him out to dinner just to see what he's like or ask him about his commitment to God (LOL). That doesn't necessarily mean they'll draft him.

On the player's side, he can accept or decline an invitation from a team he believes has no chance of drafting him. For example, if the Senators at No. 32 invite Stenberg out, he could refuse because he doesn't think they'll have a chance to pick him.

Yeah… but again outlined in previous posts, the last 3 drafts where SJS had a top 4 pick… their ultimate selection was one of their dinners.

Smith, Celebrini and Misa

They will have 4 dinners… if they purely focus on the top selection (2OA), 3 of those dinners aren’t getting drafted by SJS.

My larger point is… until they draft NONE of their dinners, the trend has been these matter.

My view on it is yes they likely are taking their top 4 for dinners. Because from now to draft they need that information incase say CHI gives them a huge offer. They need to quickly say, yup we are comfortable if we trade back and take a Carels etc.

Don’t get nervous YUPPY, just cause your boy hasn’t been confirmed yet haha.

 

[Jargon]

I had a feeling Verhoeff was one of their top choices, he ticks many of the boxes their scouts like. The thing I bump on is the skating - they really seem to value skating in their defense and that seems to be one of his biggest issues (which honestly bugs me too).

 

[SJS1991]

I had a feeling Verhoeff was one of their top choices, he ticks many of the boxes their scouts like. The thing I bump on is the skating - they really seem to value skating in their defense and that seems to be one of his biggest issues (which honestly bugs me too).

My only note on the skating is he suffers from not being fluid and a twitchy athlete that can start and stop. @coooldude did a nice breakdown of him not doing good Mohawks etc.

But I think if you watch him he does what Dan Boyle said Dickinson needs to do and that’s just always be moving. Starting and stopping creates pauses that allow guys to get on you.

If you watch Verhoeff he is always circling and is never still (obviously there are moments when he is, just saying generally), but it’s never like he just parks himself and has to explode out of a stop position constantly.

This “always” moving helps him… but he does do like wide turn circling. In the games that I have seen thought he tends to just be safe so it doesn’t burn him a ton ( he still gets burned all defensemen do.)

Point is he has a way of surviving

 

[jMoneyBrah]

I’ve got a trade idea on PuckPedia that doesn’t seem to be universally hated. I submit it for y’all’s jeers and mockery.


#4OA
‘27 2nd VAN
Crevier


#2OA

Crevier seems like an interesting addition as a hulking defensive bottom 4D. Someone the Sharks could pair with Dickinson, Mukh, or Cagnoni to let them have a bit more space to roam. He’s clearly not an offensive force, and his metrics aren’t amazing, but he held his own in a really tough deployment; super high QoC with really low QoT. Maybe he’s a Jake Middleton at his peak? IDK someone else other than me would better be able to give a comp. By the numbers he’s way better than Schneider (not a high bar)

To be clear; I don’t view this as necessarily the package that should move the Sharks off Stenberg (i.e. I’m not saying Reid+Crevier+2nd is better than Stenberg) - but more of if the Sharks are gonna draft a D this is a very nice value add.

In any case, feel free to flame away, here or on PuckPedia; that thread is extraordinarily civil, so hyperbolic insults and clown emojis are welcome, just to bring things back to normalcy.

 

[SanJoseRedditor]

I’ve got a trade idea on PuckPedia that doesn’t seem to be universally hated. I submit it for y’all’s jeers and mockery.


#4OA
‘27 2nd VAN
Crevier


#2OA

Crevier seems like an interesting addition as a hulking defensive bottom 4D. Someone the Sharks could pair with Dickinson, Mukh, or Cagnoni to let them have a bit more space to roam. He’s clearly not an offensive force, and his metrics aren’t amazing, but he held his own in a really tough deployment; super high QoC with really low QoT. Maybe he’s a Jake Middleton at his peak? IDK someone else other than me would better be able to give a comp. By the numbers he’s way better than Schneider (not a high bar)

To be clear; I don’t view this as necessarily the package that should move the Sharks off Stenberg (i.e. I’m not saying Reid+Crevier+2nd is better than Stenberg) - but more of if the Sharks are gonna draft a D this is a very nice value add.

In any case, feel free to flame away, here or on PuckPedia; that thread is extraordinarily civil, so hyperbolic insults and clown emojis are welcome, just to bring things back to normalcy.

I would do it even if you took out the 2nd rounder. But I have a feeling Chicago thinks very highly of Crevier and would never do this trade

 

[tiburon12]

Interesting set of facts to work with right now:

• Grier open to trading the pick, but not willing to drop below 4th
• They have taken two D (Carels and Verhoeff) out to dinner
• Seattle and Winnipeg have expressed interest in trading out for an established player

I'm really warming to the idea that Grier drafts Stenberg and trades to get into 7/8 and takes Verhoeff.

Or, trades down to 3/4 in exchange for a Dman, drafts a D with the new pick, then trades into 7/8 and drafts another D.

 

[WSS11]

Interesting set of facts to work with right now:

• Grier open to trading the pick, but not willing to drop below 4th
• They have taken two D (Carels and Verhoeff) out to dinner
• Seattle and Winnipeg have expressed interest in trading out for an established player

I'm really warming to the idea that Grier drafts Stenberg and trades to get into 7/8 and takes Verhoeff.

Or, trades down to 3/4 in exchange for a Dman, drafts a D with the new pick, then trades into 7/8 and drafts another D.

I think he’s doing his due diligence in case somebody meets his asking price to move up to #2. He probably projects Carels and KV as options at 5 or 6.

 

[SJS1991]

Me going to bed tonight knowing Verhoeff just had the dinner that will make him a San Jose Shark on the 26th.

 

[coooldude]

Me going to bed tonight knowing Verhoeff just had the dinner that will make him a San Jose Shark on the 26th.

View attachment 1249290

Guy sounded dull as bricks in the Sheng interview. I can't wait until this is all over.

 

[SJS1991]

Guy sounded dull as bricks in the Sheng interview. I can't wait until this is all over.

he also likes the oilers.... no one is perfect haha

 

[Jargon]

Guy sounded dull as bricks in the Sheng interview. I can't wait until this is all over.

Unlike the usual dashing wit shown by most 17 year old hockey players.

 

[Sharksfan66]

Interesting tibit on Verhoeff is that he started off as a goalie, didnt play D til 12 and is on the younger side for the draft. Remember he played NCAA at 17, Reid went PPG at a year older in a weaker league.

I wonder if Verhoeff's comp is a lesser Brent Burns in 3-4 years time when he gets more experience with the position. Not saying he'll win a Norris, but just be a good mix of offence and size.

I don't see a ton of similarities with Burns personally.

But if he hits his absolute ceiling, it sounds like we could have a Shea Webber on hand, which as much as I love Burnsie, would be even more valuable IMO.

Honestly, if Grier goes for him at 2, I'll be excited that they believe in him and that he can put it all together. Because if he does, watch out!

 

[timorous me]

Unlike the usual dashing wit shown by most 17 year old hockey players.

Sam Dickinson's personality alone has made him extremely easy to root for.

 

[Juxtaposer]

My only note on the skating is he suffers from not being fluid and a twitchy athlete that can start and stop. @coooldude did a nice breakdown of him not doing good Mohawks etc.

But I think if you watch him he does what Dan Boyle said Dickinson needs to do and that’s just always be moving. Starting and stopping creates pauses that allow guys to get on you.

If you watch Verhoeff he is always circling and is never still (obviously there are moments when he is, just saying generally), but it’s never like he just parks himself and has to explode out of a stop position constantly.

This “always” moving helps him… but he does do like wide turn circling. In the games that I have seen thought he tends to just be safe so it doesn’t burn him a ton ( he still gets burned all defensemen do.)

Point is he has a way of surviving

One of Verhoeff’s biggest strengths to me is his motor. As you said, he’s always moving, never waiting for the game to come to him.

 

[weastern bias]

The player Verhoeff most reminds me of is Dion Phaneuf

 

[Gecklund]

Guy sounded dull as bricks in the Sheng interview. I can't wait until this is all over.

Probably not worse than Stenberg sounded in an interview with “Draft Class”

“Why should you be the number 1 pick” “ah I don’t know I’m good offensively and I’m pretty good defensively I guess?”