Overview
- The Sharks traded William Eklund along with Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators for the No. 9 overall pick on June 24, 2026, leaving San Jose with first-round picks at Nos. 2, 9 and 27.
- Reporting treats Ivar Stenberg as the presumptive selection at No. 2 for the Sharks, with Stenberg seen as a natural replacement and potential upgrade for Eklund in the long-term lineup.
- Holding the No. 9 pick gives San Jose a clear path to address its top need for a right-shot, top-end defenseman with targets in the 5–10 range such as Keaton Verhoeff, Dax Rudolph or Ryan Lin.
- San Jose can also package the No. 9 and No. 27 picks to move up the board for a higher-ranked defender or entertain offers to sell down from No. 2, keeping its options open before the draft.
- The trade narrows uncertainty at the top of the draft by making the projected No. 1–2 picks more predictable and it shifts draft strategy for nearby teams like the Vancouver Canucks, who now face a lower chance of landing Stenberg at No. 3.