San Jose Sharks
BREAKING: Sharks Pick Stenberg No. 2
BUFFALO — The San Jose Sharks have selected Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick.
Stenberg is a 5-foot-11 Swedish winger, who enjoyed near record-setting SHL and World Championships campaigns as an 18-year-old.
In the SHL, Stenberg scored 33 points for Frolunda, on 11 goals and 22 assists, the third-best D+0 campaign in league history, behind only Daniel Sedin (42 points) and Henrik Sedin (34 points).
At Worlds, Stenberg put up eight points in just eight games, on four goals and four assists. Since World War II, only Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, and Paul Kariya have averaged a point per game as a D+0 at Worlds.
Keegan McNally says: “His best asset is his ability to continually move the puck into better positions. If you distill Stenberg’s success down to a single thing, it’s that. He’s constantly looking for the next play to move the puck into a higher danger area than it currently is. If he’s got the puck in the highest danger area, he’s shooting, and he’s got a hell of a shot to go with an impressive playmaking toolkit.”
An NHL scout told San Jose Hockey Now, “He can be a hard-skill first-liner.”
Elite Prospects says, “Incredibly gifted offensive creator with elite skill and matching offensive sense, but also a robust two-way game – a future top-line NHL winger, potentially as soon as next season.”
He could be a perfect complement for the San Jose Sharks superstar center, Macklin Celebrini.
The San Jose Sharks’ next pick is No. 9, acquired from the Ottawa Senators for William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and Brandon Svoboda on Tuesday.
My pick for months! So happy to see him in a Sharks sweater!!! He’s going to be ELECTRIC!
Ok, now that’s settled. Stenberg has broken the Sharks glass floor. ;P a sub 6′ player in the 1st round. So does he live with Wennberg to start out? Really interesting that they said he could play center down the road? If that’s true then this is an even better pick.
Board is also playing out nicely to get one of those top 5 D as well. Could be a nice night for us
Isn’t it too early to tell yet? That tiny center has to be picked top 8 for it to work out.
He’s gonna be great. Clearly he’s the guy the org coveted and that’s awesome
Said all along, I’m good with whatever Grier and his massive team decide. Just please do something about the d-Core
Awesome that Manny got his boy.
Rudolph at #4.. wow
All the mock drafts mean jack squat..
To be fair I think the draft gurus did admit the valuation among the defensemen was a little mushy.
There was a little of this in 2024 as well among that clump of defensemen Dickinson was part of.
Yup I seem to remember Dickinson was supposed to be one of the first of that group drafted but he was one of the last.
In keeping with recent tradition, there is way less drama on draft day than media and fans expect. I do wonder how much of the bullshit floating around online these days are attempts to manipulate predictions markets. Not so much the real insiders and journalists like Sheng, but some of the faux-insider twitter accounts and fly-by-night sports sites.
That might change… I just saw on DFO that “Werenski unlikely to extend, Blue Jackets fielding trade offers”. I doubt it happens today, but you never know!
We’ll know by #9 if it happens today.
I guess there is a little drama in terms of Rudolph being drafted first among the D. But even then that’s not super controversial. I think a lot of draft gurus had been talking about the valuation of the defensemen weren’t set in stone. Reid was in the lead but I guess Buffalo really wanted that super dynamic high end offense. I guess they figure his defensive habits can be coached.
If you have to correct something defense is it. As long as the player is willing.
Seems like quite a bit of chaos in general. A couple more big trades too. Don’t think we’re done.
WTF? Rudolph…??!!! You guys told me he was too much of a liability! Works out for the Sharks maybe? Maybe I’ll get my dude Smits? 2 players that open the season in the NHL? LFG!
Smits to Rags. I think we could maybe get a shot at Reid or Carels. Would be hilarious and awesome.
I think maybe Buffalo’s thinking is that Rudolph has that super high end offense where he might be kind of an Evan Bouchard where other guys are more like 45 point guys. His play in his own zone might be rough, but maybe Jarmo figures that can be fixed by coaching.
Ok no Smits. Reid, Carels or KV? Any would be great. Stenberg & KV would be spectacular.
Carels to Cgy… so Reid has to get through Seattle and Winnipeg. I think there’s a chance one taken Bjorck. I am not sure if Seattle takes D or not. It would be a change if they did.
Man. I am praying that some way somehow Reid or Carels falls to 9 since Buff took Randolph.
Assuming we keep him and sign him!!?? are we potentially looking at
Stenberg, Celebrini, Smith
Chernyshov, Misa, Graf
Toff, Wenny, Woody as our top nine
Could also see
CHIILMACK
Graf, Misa, Toff
Stenberg, Wenny, Woody
to start the season for acclimation!?
Really felt we needed the best Dman over the best forward given our deficiencies but Stenberg seems like a can’t miss star as a wing!
Keep who? Stenberg? It would be shocking if they moved him at this point. Can’t see it now.
Was still on the Christmas miracle trade for Sanderson and have let this go 👍🏻
Grateful for another star forward who was a “gift”to us as #2!!!
Or to further rosterbate
CHILLMACK
Grafer, Mis, Stener
Toff, Wenny, Woody
” “, Upchuck, The Hockey God
PP1 forwards
Stener, Mack, Smitty
PP2 forwards
Igor, Misa, Wenny
PK 1 Grafer and whomever fits best
PK 2 Grafer and whomever fits best lol
will stop now lol
Within shooting range of Chase Reid at 7?!!
Bjorck and Verhoeff still on the board
Do we really want Reid though? I wonder if there’s some problem that front offices spotted that draft gurus haven’t.
Wow. I wonder if there is some big warning sign about Reid for him to drop so much on draft day. I know some scouts were higher on other defensemen in the class but this seems like quite a slip. A bit strange given the rumor was he really impressed at the combine.
It also feels like “anonymous scouts” do pass on a lot of disinformation in the weeks leading up to the draft.
He’s falling like the price of precious metals. Fuck verhoff is within reach
Dang I let myself get excited. Maybe we can nab Verhoeff.
Big congratulations to Mike Grier. His gambit paid off. He got his right-shot D with that #9 pick after all. And 6’4″ to boot. Verhoeff slipping down to 9 is a little less surprising than Reid to 7. It seemed like he wasn’t trending this past year as well as some of the other top D in this draft. So it’s natural he slips down. I will be cautiously optimistic about Verhoeff. I think we have to be a bit realistic. He has been slipping in the draft rankings and on draft day for a reason. But still, you can’t… Read more »
Yah I think him jumping to the NCAA at 17 hurt his high draft prospects but I think it’s going to pay off for us in the long run.
Yeah hopefully once he goes through that freshman adjustment phase he’ll bloom. It takes time for defenseman to hit their stride (if you’re Darren Raddysh…a lot of time.)
Fuck yeah! KV is available at 9!!
Hell yes!!!
This is unreal, need this to happen
Verhoeff falls to 9. Please take him Grier!
Woot woot!
W-we did it?
Make up for taking a smaller forward by taking a big defenseman. Love it! They wondered if the Sharks might bring him pro right away? Hope not. From all reports he needs another year of college. I guess we’ll see?
I think he gets another year in NCAA.
NCAA for sure!
he really does need more time. He was a bit over his head last season. But I credit him for taking the step and challenging himself, He turned 18 …. last week
That’s one of my favorite character traits. Choosing to challenge himself and battling thru the obvious struggle. That kind of determination is how winners are built.
Well that worked out !!
Wow coming out of this with Verhoeff and Stenberg is wild. I feel very lucky.
About a year ago, I said I’d like to see the Sharks have a rough season, get a very high pick and select Keaton Verhoeff. Now, I knew little about Verhoeff except people seemed to think he was going to be a great d-man — the top d-man in this draft. Of course, I was really more interested in what Verhoeff represented — big, right-handed and the best in his d-man in his class. It seemed like the missing piece. Now I get that he slipped, he didn’t have a great year in the NCAA. But he was challenged, played… Read more »
Well done everyone. We did it.
The debate between Stenberg and Reid has officially been decided. No one expected it to be a unanimous decision, but there you have it. I gotta say, it feels a little weird. The whole Randolph rocket move has me a little shaken. Wtf
Kinda like the Cele draft. Didn’t Calgary take the D first who was supposed to be the last of the 6?