It’s mock draft season, and the Sharks have two picks, No. 2 and No. 20, in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
San Jose Hockey Now has asked 15 beat writers and one guest GM to make selections for their teams for this top-20 mock draft. SJHN will make the Sharks’ picks.
Thanks to Mark Masters of TSN, Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Ben Pope of Chicago Sun-Times, Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, Keegan McNally of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, Stefen Rosner of the Elmonters, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch, Sammi Silber of the Hockey News, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor, and Cole Bagley of KSL Sports for helping out.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Mark Masters selects winger Gavin McKenna: “John Chayka says they will pick the best player available. Gavin McKenna is the best player available.”
2. San Jose Sharks
Sheng Peng selects defenseman Chase Reid: “If the Sharks have the chance to trade this pick back, and still come out with Reid or fellow top defensive prospect Carson Carels, they should do it. But I’m opting for Reid over Carels and winger Ivar Stenberg, who’s the safer pick, because Reid’s ceiling as a true No. 1 defenseman who can run a top power play is exactly what the Sharks need to make themselves a well-rounded powerhouse in the coming years.”
3. Vancouver Canucks
Thomas Drance selects center Caleb Malhotra: “The Canucks have been scouting Malhotra heavily throughout the OHL playoffs, when he really broke out offensively. I think he represents a lot from a character, work ethic, positional value perspective that they want to be about in this next rebuild, despite some of the associated awkwardness of hiring Manny [as head coach], and then potentially drafting his son. The sense I get is that it’ll be very difficult for them to pass on him, even if Ivar Stenberg remains on the board.”
4. Chicago Blackhawks
Ben Pope selects winger Ivar Stenberg: “Ivar Stenberg not only would be the best player available at No. 4, considering who has been taken, but also would be a perfect fit for the Blackhawks, considering that they see Bedard, Nazar, and Frondell as centers and have a need on the wing for a playmaker who can also hold his own defensively and build something alongside those guys, [including] Frondell with the Swedish connection. An obvious pick, and one that [Kyle Davidson would] be happy to make.”
5. New York Rangers
Vince Mercogliano selects defenseman Carson Carels: “The ideal scenario for the Rangers would involve Malhotra or Stenberg falling to No. 5, but this one seems more likely. They have needs all over, and are therefore, weighing all of the defensemen who could be in the best player available conversation. My sense, at this stage, is it’ll come down to Carels or Alberts Smits.”
6. Calgary Flames
Ryan Pike selects defenseman Keaton Verhoeff: “With two years as Cole Reschny’s teammate, they know him well. Lots of high-end skill and versatility. Would be better if he was a leftie, but they can always move guys, and I don’t think they can resist Verhoeff’s overall skills package.”
7. Seattle Kraken
Keegan McNally selects defenseman Daxon Rudolph: “Seattle has chosen only forwards in the first round since their inception in 2021. Catton, Wright, Sale, Beniers were all first-rounders, and even early seconds in Firkus, Miettinen, Rehkopf were all additions to their forward prospect group. When they do draft defense in the second round, they typically aim for WHL’ers such as Ryker Evans, Lukas Dragicevic, and Blake Fiddler. I think that trend continues but they finally reach for a high-impact offensive defenseman with their first pick. Rudolph easily becomes Seattle’s best defense prospect to add to great forward prospect depth.”
8. Winnipeg Jets
Ken Wiebe selects center Viggo Bjorck: “Securing someone who could ultimately fill the second-line centre role sooner than later is the priority. Don’t worry about any of the potential concerns about Bjorck’s size, he brings a tenacious style to go along with his high-end skill and speed. Bjorck bolstered his draft stock with a strong showing at the recent men’s World Championships. Bjorck also won a gold medal at the World Juniors in St. Paul along with a pair of Jets prospects, Sascha Boumedienne and Alfons Freij.”
9. Florida Panthers
George Richards selects defenseman Alberts Smits: “If the Panthers do not trade this pick in a big deal before the draft, Smits would be a home run selection if he is still around. Smits is a big defenseman who has received great experience both professionally and internationally at a young age. He could potentially move into the Panthers’ plans in the next 2-3 years. Florida has had great luck with players from Latvia, with Uvis Balinskis and top prospect Sandis Vilmanis. If Smits is still around at No. 9, and the Panthers have the pick, it will not take long for them to get his name in.”
10. Nashville Predators
Nick Kieser selects center Tynan Lawrence: “Lawrence would be a wise selection for the Predators as they begin to look toward the future. The center may not have popped off during his freshman season at BU, but that shouldn’t deter Nashville from adding more depth down the middle. Lawrence has time to develop and shine in the NCAA before making the jump to the NHL, and should he be picked by Nashville, it could bode well for new GM Chris MacFarland as he begins his tenure. The budding forward’s dog-on-a-bone mentality coupled with his skill will provide a bright future for any franchise.”
11. St. Louis Blues
Jeremy Rutherford selects winger Ethan Belchetz: “The Blues would’ve preferred one of the top three centers here, but with the Predators picking up Lawrence, Belchetz is a solid pivot. The Blues have an abundance of wingers, and more on the way, but none with Belchetz’s 6-foot-5 size and ability.”
12. New Jersey Devils
James Nichols selects winger Wyatt Cullen: “It’s unlikely the Devils draft a defenseman here and they could really use a blue-chip forward in their pipeline. Wyatt Cullen is the most talented forward on the board at this point. If the Devils don’t trade this pick for more immediate help, they’ll covet Cullen’s skill and skating. The son of former NHLer Matt Cullen, his puck-handling craftiness stands out in a big way, whether he’s winding up for a shot or threading a pass through tight gaps. A strong skater with real top-end speed, he looked like a different player this season, which shows he’s become more comfortable with his frame after a recent growth spurt shot him up to 6-foot-1, 176 lbs…Cullen doesn’t sound too dissimilar from his favorite player, Jack Hughes.”
13. New York Islanders
Stefen Rosner selects winger Adam Novotny: “While the New York Islanders are in need of a right-shot defenseman, Daxon Rudolph is off the board. Novotny projects to be a top-six forward who can play center and wing.”
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
Brian Hedger selects defenseman Malte Gustafsson: “Gustafsson fits into the mix as yet another big, physical, defensive-leaning defenseman who could slide into the left side of the second or third pairing in a couple of years to restock the Blue Jackets’ defensive corps with another quality defender, albeit another lefty. Since Don Waddell took over as the Blue Jackets’ president-GM, they’ve used most of their draft picks to add big, physical players up front and on the back end. This guy fits the mold perfectly and, as all GMs like to note, there’s no such thing as too many quality defensemen. Combined with three big-bodied defensemen selected among the Jackets’ six picks last season, led by swift-skating Jackson Smith, Gustafsson gives Columbus more bite on a back-end that’s already stocked with big, young defensemen.”
15. St. Louis Blues
Jeremy Rutherford selects center Alexander Command: “With another first-round selection just four picks later, the Blues can scoop up their center. The choices are Command and Oliver Suvanto, and either would be fine, but Command has a mixture of physicality, speed, and skill that’s attractive.”
16. Washington Capitals
Sammi Silber selects defenseman Ryan Lin: “A rising right-handed power-play quarterback and one of the top defensemen in the draft. The Caps have Cole Hutson, but will go for the best player available, and Lin adds quite a bit to the blueline. D.C. also needs more depth on that right side.”
17. Los Angeles Kings
John Hoven selects winger Oscar Hemming. An NHL scout told San Jose Hockey Now about Hemming: “He got half the year in college hockey, and the offense was just not there. He had one goal [in 19 games], which is scary … but he’s super young; he might be one of the youngest guys in the draft … if he takes a step offensively, you’re talking legit power forward…there’s a pretty high ceiling with him.”
18. Washington Capitals
Sammi Silber selects winger Elton Hermansson: “The Swede oozes talent and is one of the most skilled players in this class. His ceiling’s high. Areas of his game need fine-tuning, but he could end up being a big steal for DC.”
19. Utah Mammoth
Cole Bagley selects defenseman Tommy Bleyl: “With a fairly shallow defensemen prospect pool, Utah is in need of a strong two-way defenseman who has confidence on the puck and produces offense.”
20. San Jose Sharks
Sheng Peng selects defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii: “In a similar vein as Haoxi (Simon) Wang, the 6-foot-8 Sokolovskii is a project. He’s more refined at the time of the draft than Wang was last year. Sokolovskii is very athletic and physical and projectable, and if he fulfills his potential, he adds an intimidating presence that the Sharks’ blueline of the future doesn’t have, and no doubt, GM Mike Grier would love.”
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