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

[sampler]

Yeah, I just think that watching Misa throughout the season, the way he grew and developed in the second half seemed very real (not flukey in the sense of getting by on playing with top linemates or getting lots of PP1 time) and gave me a sense of a player not just with very good tools but a very good hockey brain all across the ice—and while you don't want to jump the gun, that tells me we've got a legit 2C of the future, with the only question being if he's going to be the best 2C in the league or just a good one.

But either way, I think that pick, and the seeming outcome of it, is instructive for this draft. Just because the Sharks lost out on the clear star from the 2025 draft, it doesn't mean it can't still be a win for the team. Because as Jux has said many times, a strong 2C is a really important element for your typical Cup finalist.

And with that in mind, even though the Sharks may well not come out of this draft with a star, and the top of the draft has more question marks than you'd like, it doesn't mean you can't still get a really useful player for what you need—and it feels like a gift that in a time when the Sharks' biggest need is a RD, they basically had one dropped into their lap by winning the #2 pick.

The thing about right-sided defensemen is that, like in baseball with positions like catcher or center field, you have a positional advantage that essentially inflates your WAR or value or whatever you want to call it. So even if Reid only tops out as a good defenseman in the NHL, by dint of him being a RD, even that is a sort of win for the Sharks.

Of course, this is all—as I think Hodge was implying a few posts up—sort of fine on the basis of the Sharks getting Celebrini. With a star like him front and center, you can fill out your roster with good players, and even if they don't turn into stars like you might hope, the complete package around Celebrini might be enough in the end.

Misa looked excellent in the second half. I expect he’ll take off and be one of the best 2C option in the league within a year or two. I got confused between 77 and 71 coming through the neutral with speed several times late last year. Hes gunna be a player…

Alll due respect to smith, but his defensive game sucks and I don’t think he is a legit 1W on a cup contending team. He has nice skill and vision and a good shot, but he is just too soft and too slow. Eklund is going to be a very good 60-70 pt winger. Excellent 2nd liner but also defensively so so. Graf is a great defensive player but not likely to be a true 1W. Cherny could be a true 1W but it’s too early to tell yet….

In other words, the Sharks are kinda missing a true star 1W. Not as clear a need as four top 4D of course, but it’s still an area of improvement. Stenberg has 1W potential easily and I think he would instantly be the best winger on the team and if not for any concept of team need, stenberg is the pick.

I’m floating around the idea of trading up too. if Toronto is really split between GMC and stenberg, could Grier package 2+20 and get McKenna?

I mean, Celebrini and McKenna would be a duo to watch for the generations.

 

[Shark Finn]

I’m floating around the idea of trading up too. if Toronto is really split between GMC and stenberg, could Grier package 2+20 and get McKenna?

Neither team does this.

By the way - GMC? Really?

 

[sampler]

One other idea is to trade down multiple times depending on how the draft is going.

For example: trade down from 2 to 6 with the flames for #30 and 35. Then depending on who falls to 6, like if Reid or voerhoff is still there, pick at 6. Or trade down again with the blues for 11 and 15.

In most drafts there are surprises. Someone unexpected might be there at 11. Dick and buium were mocked to go 6 or 7 and fell to 11 and 12. Smits or Rudolph may be there at 11.

Then Gustafsson may be there at 15.

Then you still have our own 20 along with 30 and 35 to grab three more 1st round talents.

Almost surely a guy mocked in the teens or early 20s will fall to 30/35 as happened with fiddler and Spence last year, cherny the year before…

This strategy could see the Sharks turn pick 2 and 20 into Rudolph(11), Guatafsson (15) hemming(20), bleyl (30) and mutryn (35). While this exact combo will not all fall, Grier can play opportunist and snatch consensus higher ranked fallers and walk away with 5 consensus 1st round level prospects including potentially 1 or 2 top 10 ranked guys.

I suppose this makes little sense given the stage a rebuild (quality over quantity now) but at the same time, turning a #2 dart into #11, 15, 30 and 35 darts would be an intersting choice. And you just never know how the draft will go so being nimble and moving on the fly can be very clever.

Shocks like Martin going 5 last year, senneke going 3, dick and buium both fallling out of the top 10, cherny passed up entirely in the 1st round… they happen every year an great GMs can take advantage and maximize pick values.

I strongly doubt Grier will do this, but it’s an option.

 

[spintops]

We've gone from "there's only a handful of prospects that matter in any draft and we know who they are ahead of time" to "there is only one prospect that matters in any draft so failing to win the lottery means you shouldn't expect anything from your high 1st round prospect"

Shark

Jumped

I think he's just making the silly argument that number 2 has had more misses than later in the draft lately. We should pay to go from#2 to#4 or #7 because those slots have been more productive recently. #HodgeGM

 

[mogambomoroo]

I'm still on team "Raddysh is a trap" if he makes it to FA. If he's best you can get, it's not worth the money. If you have to put your money somewhere sign a vet like Trouba or Carlson that can stopgap until Sharks 2nd overall D (hopefully) grows into their role.

 

[Shark Finn]

I'm still on team "Raddysh is a trap" if he makes it to FA. If he's best you can get, it's not worth the money. If you have to put your money somewhere sign a vet like Trouba or Carlson that can stopgap until Sharks 2nd overall D (hopefully) grows into their role.

I had no idea Stenberg was a defender.

 

[Zarzh]

This strategy could see the Sharks turn pick 2 and 20 into Rudolph(11), Guatafsson (15) hemming(20), bleyl (30) and mutryn (35). While this exact combo will not all fall, Grier can play opportunist and snatch consensus higher ranked fallers and walk away with 5 consensus 1st round level prospects including potentially 1 or 2 top 10 ranked guys.

I think it says a lot about how "deep" the prospect pool really is, that people want to throw away the 2nd overall pick to hope to add the type of guys that Grier should have been drafting the whole time.

 

[Jargon]

I think it says a lot about how "deep" the prospect pool really is, that people want to throw away the 2nd overall pick to hope to add the type of guys that Grier should have been drafting the whole time.

“People” = one guy

 

[Star Platinum]

Misa looked excellent in the second half. I expect he’ll take off and be one of the best 2C option in the league within a year or two. I got confused between 77 and 71 coming through the neutral with speed several times late last year. Hes gunna be a player…

Alll due respect to smith, but his defensive game sucks and I don’t think he is a legit 1W on a cup contending team. He has nice skill and vision and a good shot, but he is just too soft and too slow. Eklund is going to be a very good 60-70 pt winger. Excellent 2nd liner but also defensively so so. Graf is a great defensive player but not likely to be a true 1W. Cherny could be a true 1W but it’s too early to tell yet….

In other words, the Sharks are kinda missing a true star 1W. Not as clear a need as four top 4D of course, but it’s still an area of improvement. Stenberg has 1W potential easily and I think he would instantly be the best winger on the team and if not for any concept of team need, stenberg is the pick.

I’m floating around the idea of trading up too. if Toronto is really split between GMC and stenberg, could Grier package 2+20 and get McKenna?

I mean, Celebrini and McKenna would be a duo to watch for the generations.

Thank God you're not our GM

 

[Star Platinum]

Neither team does this.

By the way - GMC? Really?

They make a hell of a truck

 

[Star Platinum]

We've gone from "there's only a handful of prospects that matter in any draft and we know who they are ahead of time" to "there is only one prospect that matters in any draft so failing to win the lottery means you shouldn't expect anything from your high 1st round prospect"

Shark

Jumped

When you jump the shark on the sharks board, it's like jumping two sharks. Even Fonzie never managed that.

 

[Star Platinum]

I had no idea Stenberg was a defender.

 

[LadyStanley]

NHL has been posting tidbits like this for a lot of the guys up for draft.

 

[Star Platinum]

I think it says a lot about how "deep" the prospect pool really is, that people want to throw away the 2nd overall pick to hope to add the type of guys that Grier should have been drafting the whole time.

I think it says a lot about you that you're referencing someone with a really bad idea to continue to push your own really bad ideas

 

[SjMilhouse]

So who do you guys think we'll take at 2? Seems like Reid or Stenberg. I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up yet in this thread for how close we are to the draft.

 

[SJS1991]

I was thinking it's insane Reid and Carels are being considered for the 2nd overall pick but then I looked at the list of guys picked 2nd in the last decade.

Misa, Levshunov, Nemec, Beniers, Byfield, Kakko, Patrick, Laine...barf. Our expectations for this pick should be low.

I mean it really isnt. if we remove last year...

2024: Levshunov (picked), but open debate for Demidov who if he was selected would look fine right now.

2023: You skipped because its Carlsson, and after Celebrini is one of the best young centers

2022: Nemec (Picked), but Cooley is right there and would be fine as an outcome... overall this looks like a poor class (happens).

2021: Beniers is fine... i think if he was the 2C on a better team he would be highlighted more. This is a perfectly fine outcome for a 2OA

2020: Byfield (picked), Stutzle is right there

2019: Kakko (picked), poor class... Seider is the only big hit outside of Hughes in the top 10.

2018: Svechnikov (picked), a solid 2OA... could debate for Tkachuk but they roughly have the same output

2017: Patrick (picked), Heiskanen and Makar were right there.... both would be great 2OA outcomes.

2016: Laine (picked), the big misses here are Keller and Tkachuk... but looking at the rest of the top10... Laine was a fine pick.

The main story is the ones that miss its because of either a poor selection by the team (taking Byfield over Stutzle and Patrick over one of the defensemen stand out) or just a poor draft in general (2022 and 2019).

Likely one of the defensemen in 2026 is going to pop... if the sharks select a defensemen they need to make sure they pick the one that does.... and if they select Stenberg he will likely live in the Svechnikov/Beniers tier of 2OA, just being a top guy for their team but not an elite elite super star.

 

[vortexx]

Well there it is, Hockeyprospect released their final draft rankings and it definitely differs from the consensus, have to respect that. Obviously Bjork and Malhotra above McKenna and Stenberg stands out along with Carels and Verhoeff above Reid. But they must really love Pugachyov at 11 who would be an interesting pick for us at #20, also Shcherbakov ranked #14. YouTube videos breaking down their rankings will begin Tuesday.

1. Bjork
2. Malhotra
3. McKenna
4. Stenberg
5. Carels
6. Verhoeff
7. Reid
8. Gustafsson
9. Cullen
10. Rudolph
11. Pugachyov
12. Smits
13. Suvanto
14. Scherbakov
15. Lin
16. Klepov
17. Hurlbert
18. Belchetz
19. Hemming
20. Sokolovskii

Rest of the top 32 can be found here

2026 NHL Draft Ranking - HockeyProspect.com

HockeyProspect.com has produced NHL Draft Rankings for eligible draft prospects for the NHL Draft since 2004.

hockeyprospect.com

 

[Star Platinum]

Well there it is, Hockeyprospect released their final draft rankings and it definitely differs from the consensus, have to respect that. Obviously Bjork and Malhotra above McKenna and Stenberg stands out along with Carels and Verhoeff above Reid. But they must really love Pugachyov at 11 who would be an interesting pick for us at #20, also Shcherbakov ranked #14. YouTube videos breaking down their rankings will begin Tuesday.

1. Bjork
2. Malhotra
3. McKenna
4. Stenberg
5. Carels
6. Verhoeff
7. Reid
8. Gustafsson
9. Cullen
10. Rudolph
11. Pugachyov
12. Smits
13. Suvanto
14. Scherbakov
15. Lin
16. Klepov
17. Hurlbert
18. Belchetz
19. Hemming
20. Sokolovskii

Rest of the top 32 can be found here

2026 NHL Draft Ranking - HockeyProspect.com

HockeyProspect.com has produced NHL Draft Rankings for eligible draft prospects for the NHL Draft since 2004.

hockeyprospect.com

I look forward to the video explaining their rationale

 

[hohosaregood]

Yeah, I just think that watching Misa throughout the season, the way he grew and developed in the second half seemed very real (not flukey in the sense of getting by on playing with top linemates or getting lots of PP1 time) and gave me a sense of a player not just with very good tools but a very good hockey brain all across the ice—and while you don't want to jump the gun, that tells me we've got a legit 2C of the future, with the only question being if he's going to be the best 2C in the league or just a good one.

But either way, I think that pick, and the seeming outcome of it, is instructive for this draft. Just because the Sharks lost out on the clear star from the 2025 draft, it doesn't mean it can't still be a win for the team. Because as Jux has said many times, a strong 2C is a really important element for your typical Cup finalist.

And with that in mind, even though the Sharks may well not come out of this draft with a star, and the top of the draft has more question marks than you'd like, it doesn't mean you can't still get a really useful player for what you need—and it feels like a gift that in a time when the Sharks' biggest need is a RD, they basically had one dropped into their lap by winning the #2 pick.

The thing about right-sided defensemen is that, like in baseball with positions like catcher or center field, you have a positional advantage that essentially inflates your WAR or value or whatever you want to call it. So even if Reid only tops out as a good defenseman in the NHL, by dint of him being a RD, even that is a sort of win for the Sharks.

Of course, this is all—as I think Hodge was implying a few posts up—sort of fine on the basis of the Sharks getting Celebrini. With a star like him front and center, you can fill out your roster with good players, and even if they don't turn into stars like you might hope, the complete package around Celebrini might be enough in the end.

the knights actually struggled with the 2C question all year too. They tried Hertl, they even had to try Marner, but any time William Karlsson was in the lineup for them, they play like a wagon.

 

[Zarzh]

I think it says a lot about you that you're referencing someone with a really bad idea to continue to push your own really bad ideas

Everyone here has far worse ideas than me. My ideas can be summed up as trying to be more like Florida, Vegas, or Carolina than Colorado or Toronto.

Half this board thinks they can pick Duncan Keith in the 2nd round, or will create video game lines without a F1.

 

[Shark Finn]

Half this board thinks they can pick Duncan Keith in the 2nd round, or will create video game lines without a F1.

We the morons!

 

[Original22]

I look forward to the video explaining their rationale

"we snorted some high grade Plutonian Nyborg and were tripping balls"

 

[crankshaft mechanic]

Everyone here has far worse ideas than me. My ideas can be summed up as trying to be more like Florida, Vegas, or Carolina than Colorado or Toronto.

Half this board thinks they can pick Duncan Keith in the 2nd round, or will create video game lines without a F1.

Me, a genius: we should make our team look somewhat like the past 3-4 cup winners.

 

[weastern bias]

Everyone here has far worse ideas than me.

 

[Zarzh]

Me, a genius: we should make our team look somewhat like the past 3-4 cup winners.

To be fair, it's pretty obvious that Grier is trying to go the Toronto or Colorado route, where they don't have any premium depth or role players and try to win on star power.