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

[Grinner]

My point is more that 4 firsts are less than 2oa and Graf, especially because you do get 1 free use protection in those 5 years.

Just consider Stl has 11, 15, 16, and 29. I think those are roughly around where the Sharks will be picking the next several years. Would you trade that for 2oa and Graf?

No. We already have 3 1st round picks
2 of which are top 10 picks

 

[Hodge]

This team really needs defense, man

Trade up with 9 and 27 for Carels or Verhoeff

 

[Pavelski2112]

Trade up with 9 and 27 for Carels or Verhoeff

Don't get me wrong, I love JRob, he's one of my favorite players in the league, but putting so much emphasis on picking up too much top end forward depth is reminding me of a certain couple of Canadian teams who have done the same and paid for it long-term.

 

[STL Shark]

That could happen, and if would the nightmare scenario for Grier. Of course, Smits is a pretty nice consolation prize, but he's definitely not the target. All the more reason to try to get up to 4 or 6 and ensure Ried or Voerhoff (unless Buf goes Reid, and NYR goes Voerhoff)....

Would actually be my dream scenario if one of the LHD was there. Ideally, I am trading down and drafting Reid and then taking his perfect partner in one of the simple stay at home types of LHD in Smits or Gus at 9 to build the young D group to match our loaded forward group.

 

[Lebanezer]

If they want to move up they can send us 3OA + Willander lol

I would seriously consider that as well.

 

[Hodge]

WRT Seattle, Panarin turned down 4x14 or something from them to sign 2x11 with LA so I wouldn't be surprised if Robertson is willing to sign that contract offer with us

 

[Palaeontologists]

He wants too much money and still play for a competitive team. Too much of a headache, pass.

 

[Wedontneedroads]

Klepov is the last player you'd want them to target. Soft and awkward skating.

At least they targeted 2 guys who would have been there at 20 but not 27.

Awkward skating? Have you watched him?

He is able to create space in the offensive zone with his edgework and has the vision to find open players once he does so. He was one of the guys I would have loved for the Sharks to look at with 20 if he somehow got there but I expect he will be gone by 15 at the latest.

 

[Grinner]

WRT Seattle, Panarin turned down 4x14 or something from them to sign 2x11 with LA so I wouldn't be surprised if Robertson is willing to sign that contract offer with us

We're in a much better position than Seattle
He'd be a big draw among the large Bay Area Filipino community

 

[JackSkellington]

We're in a much better position than Seattle
He'd be a big draw among the large Bay Area Filipino community

That’s my thought process thinking Japanese players would sign with the Giants but nooooope

 

[Grinner]

That’s my thought process thinking Japanese players would sign with the Giants but nooooope

Lol. Isn't Robinson from the OC?

 

[landshark]

Lol. Isn't Robinson from the OC?

Ugh... "The OC..." I already didn't want to spend assets to acquire him...

 

[SJS1991]

at the 48 min mark they talk SJ.... apparently people from SJ were in Sweden last week....

 

[Friday]

Annoyed or upset, either way - Stenberg - Mack - Smith is going to go so fuq'ing hard

 

[jMoneyBrah]

Grier should:
- Trade #9 + Bystedt to DAL for Robertson
- Trade #2 to BUF for #4 + #45 + Crevier
- Draft Reid/Verhoeff
- @tag Kevin Davidson on the GM group Discord:

 

[Juxtaposer]

On Peters’ and Robinson’s podcast, they’re putting #2 at 85% Stenberg. They allege that the Sharks traded Eklund for #9 under the presumption that the pick would get us Byram.

 

[landshark]

We doin' a Draft Day Thread (DDT) tomorrow?

 

[Jargon]

On Peters’ and Robinson’s podcast, they’re putting #2 at 85% Stenberg. They allege that the Sharks traded Eklund for #9 under the presumption that the pick would get us Byram.

I just don’t see Grier operating that way. I suspect that he saw #9 as a much more tradeable asset than Eklund. Stenberg feels like exactly the kind of player Warsofsky and Grier want — non-stop motor, plays in the middle, etc. etc. I’m guessing the calculus was simply: Stenberg makes Eklund expendable, the 9th pick can be used to trade for or draft a defenseman.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I just don’t see Grier operating that way. I suspect that he saw #9 as a much more tradeable asset than Eklund. Stenberg feels like exactly the kind of player Warsofsky and Grier want — non-stop motor, plays in the middle, etc. etc. I’m guessing the calculus was simply: Stenberg makes Eklund expendable, the 9th pick can be used to trade for or draft a defenseman.

While I lean towards sharing your opinion, I just don’t think their claim is unrealistic. It would also make more sense that the Hawks overpaid in a desperate attempt to intervene at the last minute.

Robinson is also alleging that the Sharks are heavy on Nikishin too.

 

[Jargon]

While I lean towards sharing your opinion, I just don’t think their claim is unrealistic. It would also make more sense that the Hawks overpaid in a desperate attempt to intervene at the last minute.

Robinson is also alleging that the Sharks are heavy on Nikishin too.

Maybe it’s both. He figured it was worth the risk - if Byram didn’t happen, he still saw 9 as more valuable than Eklund.

Nikishin makes so much sense to me. I know you’re less high on him and I genuinely don’t know what he can be, I imagine he’s more a middle pairing guy, but a guy with his size who can move is exactly the defenseman Grier wants, so if he’s a Shark tomorrow I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

[vortexx]

at the 48 min mark they talk SJ.... apparently people from SJ were in Sweden last week....

Sounds like Malte Gustafsson music to me, oh and maybe Ivar Stenberg! In all seriousness I have some thoughts on Grier's mindset trading Eklund for the #9 pick. You can think he acquired the pick because it would be a greater trade asset that he needed to bring in an impact defenseman, and we know he missed out on Byram. But you also would have to think he knows there is no guarantee the trade for that impact D happens, so he must also value the #9 draft position for a specific player that he thinks will be there. A tradeup is no guarantee to happen either and he can't rely on one of the public scouts “higher rated” D (Reid/Carels/Smits/Verhoeff) to fall to his spot so you would think there is a target he has in mind there in case nobody falls and my bet is it's Malte Gustafsson and not Rudolph.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Maybe it’s both. He figured it was worth the risk - if Byram didn’t happen, he still saw 9 as more valuable than Eklund.

Nikishin makes so much sense to me. I know you’re less high on him and I genuinely don’t know what he can be, I imagine he’s more a middle pairing guy, but a guy with his size who can move is exactly the defenseman Grier wants, so if he’s a Shark tomorrow I wouldn’t be surprised.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we did go after Nikishin, I would be pretty unhappy if we moved #9 for him. He is nowhere near being a legit top pairing defenseman right now and he’s already 25 years old in October. I don’t know if he has upside left other than just generic improvements from NHL experience. It also sounds like he wants to be PAID and might be trying to get to UFA as quick as possible, which is only a couple years away.

Still watching the Peters/Robinson podcast and they’re saying Smits at #5 with a bullet unless Malhotra is there, which seems unlikely. So that’s a bummer.

 

[Jargon]

I wouldn’t be surprised if we did go after Nikishin, I would be pretty unhappy if we moved #9 for him. He is nowhere near being a legit top pairing defenseman right now and he’s already 25 years old in October. I don’t know if he has upside left other than just generic improvements from NHL experience. It also sounds like he wants to be PAID and might be trying to get to UFA as quick as possible, which is only a couple years away.

Still watching the Peters/Robinson podcast and they’re saying Smits at #5 with a bullet unless Malhotra is there, which seems unlikely. So that’s a bummer.

Damn, I dream of Smits/Stenberg. I do think 9 is gone tomorrow in a trade and I can see it being Nikishin, though I hear the concerns. Maybe Orlov can help unlock him a bit. It’d be a huge, fun mobile D-core next year though.

I don’t remember a draft day that’s ever felt as unpredictable as this one.

 

[LadyStanley]

Pre Draft pod

 

[Juxtaposer]

Damn, I dream of Smits/Stenberg. I do think 9 is gone tomorrow in a trade and I can see it being Nikishin, though I hear the concerns. Maybe Orlov can help unlock him a bit. It’d be a huge, fun mobile D-core next year though.

I don’t remember a draft day that’s ever felt as unpredictable as this one.

Yeah, if Grier had parlayed this situation into Stenberg and Smits, I would have sung his praises.

I do think that having Orlov, Mukhamadullin, and Chernyshov here would definitely benefit Nikishin, who allegedly still doesn’t speak good English to the extent that it affects his ability to be coached. And realistically, I realize that #9 probably has an average outcome of what Nikishin is now.

I would wait until we know who’s available at #9 before pulling the trigger. If Verhoeff is there, keep the pick and take him. If the choice is between Gustafsson or Nikishin… that’s a tough one. I dunno what I’d do, and I really like Gustafsson.

This draft is fun because of the trades and potential big ones still to come. The actual draft order seems pretty locked up to me, unfortunately.