Links
SJHN Daily: NHL Scouts Poll Says Malhotra No. 2 Prospect, USHL Coming to California
Caleb Malhotra is rising like a bullet?
That’s what Cam Robinson’s NHL scouts poll suggests: Robinson spoke with 10 scouts who shared their individual top-32 2026 Draft lists. Perhaps surprisingly, center Malhotra was the consensus No. 2, and not winger Ivar Stenberg.
The San Jose Sharks have the No. 2 and 20 picks.
It seems unlikely that the center-rich Sharks would select Malhotra, but perhaps this makes the second-overall more valuable in trade?
Gavin McKenna was No. 1, Stenberg No. 3, and Carson Carels was the top-ranked defenseman at No. 4.
At No. 19 through 21, this scouts poll had, in order, winger Adam Novotny, defenseman Tommy Bleyl, and center Alexander Command.
At San Jose Hockey Now…
Who is available for PWHL San Jose to sign after the existing teams released their protection lists?
Keaton Verhoeff spoke about meeting the San Jose Sharks and more.
#SJSharks Combine dinner update: They took Reid out for dinner on Tuesday, Stenberg out on Friday
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) June 4, 2026
Joe Pavelski is still helping Tomas Hertl score.
To clarify some misconceptions that I’m reading: Leafs & Sharks aren’t scheduled to take McKenna out to dinner this week, they may have met otherwise.
Also, teams meet/dine with players separately at Combine, there aren’t group meetings with multiple teams and 1 player at once
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) June 4, 2026
Other Sharks News…
Five items on Mike Grier’s agenda.
Bay Area college students pitched innovative ideas for the future of hockey.
A review of Nick Leddy’s season.
TONIGHT: Following the conclusion of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, make sure to tune into @abc7newsbayarea for the After The Game show. #SJSharks forward Kiefer Sherwood will join anchor Larry Beil in the studio pic.twitter.com/al3vOtljJC
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) June 4, 2026
The #SJSharks need another scoring winger in their top six. Could they look to free agency to fill it?
🦈 Tuch is the best forward option and the most costly
🦈 Buying the Mantha resurgence?
🦈 Laine a buy-low candidate?📺 https://t.co/XfenvGBOKz
🎧 https://t.co/xsVablxd64 pic.twitter.com/6RyBlCpZX3— Locked on Sharks (@LockedOnSharks) June 4, 2026
Ryan Reaves is a Stanley Cup Final correspondent:
Ryan Reaves made sure to sneak the word advantageous into his interview with Seth Jarvis! ðŸ¤
📺: Game 1 of the #StanleyCup Final is TONIGHT at 8p ET on ABC, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/tmdYkcbC2I
— NHL (@NHL) June 2, 2026
Giving back to the space we call home💚🦈
Our Fins of Arena Green employee group spent the afternoon painting a new shark-themed mural at Arena Green West as an extension of Earth Day! Stay tuned to see the final result! pic.twitter.com/NphYRhmVXU
— Sharks Community (@sjscommunity) June 3, 2026
Around Hockey…
The USHL is expanding to the West Coast.
Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
The Florida Panthers will likely lose AJ Greer to a big free agency payday, and the Detroit Red Wings could be the destination.
At 32, former Shark Tomas Hertl is relishing the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.
Marcus Foligno received the King Clancy Trophy.
The Boston Fleet announced Francois Methot as their next head coach.
The latest on negotiations between Nico Hischier and the New Jersey Devils.
Jon Cooper won the Jack Adams Award for coaching.
Here's Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury's full comments on Daryl Watts' decision not to re-sign in Toronto.
• It was a priority for TOR to protect Watts
• "Pretty confident we were gonna have an agreement" until last day
• Watts felt another market was better for her
• Kingsbury… pic.twitter.com/gfMosBoMK1— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) June 4, 2026
A new consensus #2 eh? It seems the truth is it’s just a mushy draft at the top, and there’s probably some amount of muddying the waters at this time of year. I wonder how much predictions markets have created incentives to spread even more bullshit than before.
All the hard work has been done. Posturing and misdirection is now the order of the day. It’s time for ear plugs.
Do you think these scouts are misdirecting? This is frankly how I envisioned it would pan out knowing that teams always value size, centers, RD. Speaks to this being a less than stellar draft that an average sized winger is consensus 1OA.
I sorta like this draft. Probably in the minority. I definitely think there is some misdirection! The temptation is too great.
More specifically, I’m not buying Malhotra as a consensus #2.
I do. Position, size, projection. Centers are always highly rated.
No doubt, but does he look like a player who should go 2?
Maybe, I’m just skeptical. Talent over need, talent over size!
I think that speaks to the lack of quality of the draft.
random thought, what if Grier did take Malhotra? They didn’t take him out to eat so I can’t see it. Just trying to think a little outside the box because Grier sometimes comes out of nowhere with his moves.
All I know is that the next 22 days may be interesting. What does Grier do? Trade? Draft best avaialble player? Draft blue liner? Time will tell.
I’ll speak for myself, in Grier we trust!
Hmmm… I guess since it’s anonymous I just don’t know why they would. Mackenzie’s list always seemed to differ from the online scout brigade. I guess it makes sense to me that this differs too.
Front offices (including scouts) in every sport get coy before a draft. No certainty, but we’ll find out on draft day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH-RN__axrU
Cam Robinson pod today…he wrote the article that is our topic of conversation on this thread. He polled the scouts. Misdirection and game playing is addressed. It’s real.
Gotcha.
Hadn’t even considered the prospect of Kalshi poisoning the information environment but that would make sense.
If I could create a perfect scenario the sharks would trade back 1-2 spots and pick up some nhl ready help right now, then draft Carels and start building a punishing D line. Him being defensively great and physically imposing is one thing this team is sorely missing.
I liked the previous ideas of getting Hronek or Willander.
Not that I’d expect Vancouver’s front office to start doing smart stuff all of a sudden, but I honestly don’t understand how they haven’t flipped Hronek and 3 to San Jose for 2 and 20. I guess they really must be enamored with Malhotra at three, otherwise it just makes no sense. If they want to properly tank, unloading a useful, expensive player like Hronek is a no-brainer. Using that trade chip to snag an extra first and move up in the order feels like such a defensible move. I have to imagine the Sharks would do it in a… Read more »
You should message them. 😉 I would love that and frankly it isn’t that bad a deal for them. I think maybe it takes our 2nd too though? Then sign Raddysh and Deharnais? I could see that working. Injury call ups are Allen, Polkamp and Cags? Not giving up anyone that might play for sharks this season. Hey you even get to keep Eklund until they trade him for a power winger at the TDL. 😜 frankly I’m still kinda holding out hope for Byrum somehow. love his wheels.
I like Hronek but I like Stenberg more. How about we trade the 20th pick + Musty + Havelid for Hronek
Smits looks more physical than he’s given credit as well. And Smits looked really good shutting down nhl’ers in the recent olympics. I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. Reid isn’t in their tier physicality wise but I was a little surprised when I watched a few Soo games. Reid was smothering and knocking a few bodies around as well. Ideally, they can trade back a spot or two and pick something up of defensive value and get two upgrades at D on the same day.