Speaking with the media earlier today, General Manager of the San Jose Sharks, Mike Grier, had plenty to say about the organization’s pair of top-10 selections for the 2026 NHL Draft. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, San Jose is still getting a ton of interest in the second overall pick and has at least one legitimate trade offer that the team is considering.
Furthermore, after acquiring the ninth overall pick from the Ottawa Senators yesterday, interest has increased for the Sharks to possibly trade one or both of those selections. Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News shared a quote from Grier, saying, “I think teams are curious as to what our plan was to do with nine, so we had a few teams reach out and express some interest in it, and what we’d be looking for.“
Despite the increased interest in their draft picks, it would be wise for the Sharks to keep their selections unless they receive an outstanding offer. By moving on from William Eklund yesterday, San Jose has opened up a spot in the top six for either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, and can still land a quality defensive prospect with the ninth overall selection. Still, Grier has made it clear that he’s willing to be bold to improve the organization, so it’s anyone’s guess what the Sharks will ultimately do.
Additional Sharks notes:
- Speaking of being bold, Grier also told the media that the Sharks were one of the teams interested in acquiring Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. Ultimately, Buffalo chose to send Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for a package including the fourth-overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft and defenseman Louis Crevier. Grier didn’t allude to what San Jose was willing to offer, but Pashelka reported that the Sharks’ interest in acquiring Byram dated back to last season.
- Lastly, of note, Grier shared with Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest that the team wasn’t actively shopping Eklund. That means the Senators were the first team to make contact regarding his availability, and San Jose targeted the ninth overall pick as their return. Even dating back to the 2024-25 season, Eklund was viewed as a long-term building block for the Sharks, and Grier rewarded him with a three-year, $16.8MM extension. Still, with the emergence of younger players with higher ceilings, Eklund became a piece that the Sharks were willing to part with for the right price.
