Verhoeff ‘Couldn’t Be More Excited’ To Join Sharks

BUFFALO — The San Jose Sharks selected Keaton Verhoeff with the 9th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and he couldn’t be happier.

After slightly slipping in the first round, the 6-foot-4 defenseman says he is happy to join San Jose’s bright future.

“It’s special. They’re a super special group there with a lot of talent. The next 10 to 15 years are going to be pretty special,” Verhoeff said. “It was incredible to hear them. Such a great organization. Like said earlier, such a special group with young talent, and the team on the uprise is pretty cool. Couldn’t be more excited, and couldn’t be more happy to go to such a great organization.”

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier had a plan to reshape his blue line through the draft, and Verhoeff is the centerpiece. The University of North Dakota product won’t rush into any decisions about turning pro, but he is already physically ready.

“They have such a great group of staff there,” Verhoeff said. “Meeting them and talking with them at the combine, having an interview, and going out to dinner with them, getting to know them more, was special. Super great group of guys that were very nice to me, and incredible to get to know.”

Both Grier and the Sharks’ Director of Player Personnel, Scott Fitzgerald, want to ensure they put Verhoeff in a position to foster long-term success.

“We’ll have some discussions with him and his agent,” Grier said about Verhoeff potentially turning pro right away. “You give him a lot of credit for making the jump to college as a 17-year-old. He’s still a young kid. He’s got a young birthday for this draft class. Playing D in this league is not an easy thing, and it’s not something we want to rush. We want to make sure we make the right decision for him, not only for today, but for the long haul.”

“He’ll come into development camp, he’ll get on the ice with the guys. I think the plan is he’ll go back to college and just take it one step at a time,” Fitzgerald said. “Todd Marchant and his group will be watching him and communicating with him all year. It’s one day, one year, one season at a time. We’re not going to get ahead [of ourselves].”

Verhoeff knows that whenever he gets to the NHL, he’ll need to improve his skating and the rest of his game.

“Getting that work and putting the work in is gonna be exciting. Definitely being able to use my size. My compete level – that’s my one consistent thing every single night. There’s gonna be ups and downs throughout the season, but the one thing I can bring consistently to every single game is my compete level,” Verhoeff said. “Skating, too, is something I want to work on, and have been super excited to get back at it. But that’s something I think has definitely improved.”

Verhoeff’s needed improvements in skating will likely mean he doesn’t make the NHL in 26-27, but he could join after ND’s season ends.