San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said via Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press that the team has gotten multiple offers for the No. 2 overall pick in this week’s NHL Draft in Buffalo.
Grier said he received “one that’s real interesting” as the Sharks continue to weigh their options with the selection.
The No. 2 overall selection provides the opportunity to select either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg on Friday night, depending on who the Toronto Maple Leafs select first overall. While McKenna is the expected pick for Toronto, Stenberg received three No. 1 votes from a panel of 10 in TSN’s 2026 Final NHL Draft Ranking earlier this week. McKenna received five first-place votes.
Grier also said San Jose is getting calls on the No. 9 overall pick they received from the Ottawa Senators in a deal involving 23-year-old forward William Eklund on Tuesday. Ottawa received that pick in Sunday’s Brady Tkachuk blockbuster. Grier also said on Zoom Wednesday that Eklund was not a player the Sharks were actively shopping.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston said during Tuesday’s edition of Insider Trading that San Jose has been receiving considerable interest in both of their draft picks.
“Well, what those picks represent is a lot of flexibility for Sharks GM Mike Grier,” Johnston said. “And what I can tell you is that Grier is still listening on the number two pick. There has been a considerable amount of interest from teams looking to acquire that pick. And, you know, we haven’t really seen, if you look back in recent history, any team trade away something that high.
“This is how the Sharks are looking at it. They need to feel that they’re getting the equivalent of a top-line forward or top-pairing defenceman still in the prime of their career as part of any return that they would have if they are to part with that pick. But at this point in time, Mike Grier is certainly listening. He’s got an open mind, and his phone is on ahead of Friday’s draft because he is still willing to move that pick.”
The Sharks won the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s NHL Draft Lottery despite having just the ninth-best odds entering the draw. Should they hold onto the pick, this will be the third straight year the Sharks have picked within the top two, selecting superstar Macklin Celebrini first overall in 2024 and centre Michael Misa second last summer.
In addition to the No. 2 and No. 9 picks, San Jose also owns the No. 27 selection this week. As Thomas Drance of The Athletic points out, should the Sharks keep all three of their first-rounders, that will be 10 first-round picks they’ve made in the five years since Grier took over as GM.
San Jose took a major step forward last season, finishing with 86 points and just narrowly missing out on the playoffs. They tallied just 52 points in 2024-25, representing a 34-point improvement in 2025-26.
