The San Jose Sharks have some extra draft picks in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, which begins on Friday. They recently acquired the ninth overall selection in the draft, as the Sharks traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators.
This gives the Sharks three picks in the first round of the draft. It is widely suspected that Ivar Stenberg will be selected with the second pick in the draft by the Sharks. While the Sharks need a top-end right-shot defender, the talent of Stenberg is too great to pass up. Also, having two other picks in the first round will give the Sharks flexibility to selected that defenders later in the draft.
The Sharks also have the ninth and 27th picks in the first round. Both could be defensive picks, but the ninth pick will give plenty of options to find a top-pairing defender of the future.
Keaton Verhoeff would be ideal
The biggest hope for the Sharks is that Keaton Verhoeff falls to them at the ninth overall selection. He is one of the top blueliners in this year’s draft, along with Albert Smits and Chase Reid. The likelihood that Smits or Reid is available is slim, but Verhoeff would be a perfect consolation prize.
Verhoeff was a top-four defender for North Dakota and just completed his junior year with the club. He was named to the All-NCHC Rookie Team in 2026 for his play. The blueliner played in 36 games, finding the back of the net six times while adding 14 helpers.
Verhoeff has elite size, sitting at six-foot-four and 212 pounds. He also has a strong offensive upside and is a right-handed defender. Still, he struggled making the jump to NCAA hockey, which may have hurt his draft stock. While other defenders in the class chose to stay in the junior ranks, Verhoeff decided to challenge himself at the NCAA ranks. This slowed down his turnover production as well as exposed some skating issues. Still, in many drafts, he is a top-five pick, so getting him at nine would be a steal.
Dax Rudolph has top-four potential
If Verhoeff is gone, Dax Rudolph would be a great consolation prize. The 18-year-old finished his second season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. He also took a massive step forward on the offensive side of the ice this past year. In 2024-25, he played in 64 games, finding the back of the net seven times while adding 34 helpers. This past year, he lit the lamp 28 times while adding 50 assists. He is a quality two-way defender who could join a top-defensive pairing in his career, which is what James Connelly of Dobbeer Prospects pointed out.
“Rudolph is one of, if not the best, 1-on-1 defenders in the class. He stifles attacking players with elite stick work, gap control, and physicality. He already has an NHL frame at 6-1 and 195 lbs. Offensively, Rudolph’s playmaking is solid, and he has flashes of brilliance with his passing. His shot is a heavily underrated aspect of his game and could surprise many people this coming year,” Connelly wrote. “His upside is a high-end two-way top-pairing defenseman with a floor as a bottom-four shutdown defender.”
The Sharks are in need of a solid one-on-one defender who has defensive upside, and Rudolph would provide just that.
Ryan Lin should be available
With the possibility of four or five defensemen being selected before the Sharks’ second pick, they will need a backup plan. Ryan Lin is a solid backup option. The biggest knock on his game is his size. He is under six feet tall and weighs just 176 pounds, which is a smaller frame for an NHL defender. This requires him to rely on his stick work and being technically sound rather than using physical strength. Still, he could be bullied by some of the larger NHL forwards.
Regardless of his size, he has shown excellent mobility and IQ. He has the ability to push on the rush due to his speed. Lin has shown that in the past two seasons at the WHL level. In 113 games over the past two seasons, he has scored 19 goals while adding 91 assists. That gives him 110 points in 113 games.
Lin also possesses a great IQ in the defensive zone. He sneaks into plays well and is able to cause turnovers, despite being of a smaller size. His overall draft profile could have him growing into a top-four defender in the NHL, and if he can add some muscle to his frame, while not losing what has made him great, this could be a steal with the ninth overall selection.
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