Max Miller
The San Jose Sharks are entering the first round of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with three picks, including the opportunity to select either Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna at No. 2.
But after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs by four points this season, Sharks general manager Mike Grier said he’s open to trading the No. 2 pick, which they won in the second drawing in the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. San Jose also has the No. 9 selection, which it acquired Tuesday in a trade that sent forward William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators, who also received forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to forward prospect Brandon Svoboda. Ottawa acquired the No. 9 pick from the Florida Panthers on Sunday in the trade for forward Brady Tkachuk.
“If the player fits and makes us better and is in the right age group, then I think we’d be in on them for sure,” Grier said. “It’s all about the fit and the age, and so if those guys become available, for sure (we’d be willing to trade),” Grier said. “It’s something we’re not afraid to do and try to get in on. I think we’re at the right spot in our path here to possibly add a big piece.
“There’s probably been probably five teams that have been very consistently serious about (the No. 2 pick). We’ve received a couple of legitimate offers that we’ve had to really think through and have conversations about. I expect that’ll continue over the next three days.”
Grier said he’s also received offers for the No. 9 pick since the trade with the Senators. The San Jose Sharks also have the No. 27 selection; it swapped first-round selections (No. 20) with the Buffalo Sabres on June 17 in the deal that landed the Sharks defenseman Michael Kesselring.
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