Examining the Sharks’ Options With 2nd Pick in 2025 NHL Draft

Schaefer has an ideal all-around game for a defenseman. He is a great skater and isn’t limited to the blue line, capable of shooting and passing from anywhere in the offensive zone. Defensively, he uses his hockey IQ to anticipate plays, but he is also a very good on-puck defender and willing to dish out hits and block shots. The Sharks must improve their defense, and they want more offense out of their defensemen. Schaefer wouldn’t be an instant NHL contributor, but he can provide these qualities for San Jose within the next few seasons. He might fit slightly better within the Sharks’ system if he were a right-shot defender, which the Sharks need more than lefties, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent that would lead them to pass on him.

The Islanders could take Schaefer for many of the same reasons, and the Sharks will have to pivot in that scenario. But if he’s still around, San Jose gets a great player to solidify the core of their blue line.

Sharks Will Have Several Forward Options

In the event Schaefer goes to New York, the Sharks’ choices open up a lot more, since almost all of the remaining top-10 candidates are forwards. If they choose to take a forward with the second pick, they could go in several directions.

Several of the top options already have connections to current Sharks. Michael Misa led the Ontario Hockey League with 134 points as a member of the Saginaw Spirit, where he was teammates with Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov. James Hagens is an elite playmaker and a product of a Boston school, just like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Mike Grier. Victor Eklund is an excellent all-around offensive player but specializes in goal-scoring, and happens to be the younger brother of William Eklund.

A closer examination of those three players and all the other potential choices show the difficulties the Sharks might face with their pick. Misa and Hagens are both centers, and the Sharks are more in need of wingers, which is where Eklund or Porter Martone could come into play. Misa is also capable of playing on the wing, and the Sharks could draft him with the intention of converting him. At the same time, they don’t want to reach just for the sake of taking a wing, and drafting for need rather than best available at the second pick is always risky.

The Sharks could use this year’s draft to add to one of the best young forward groups in the NHL. Unlike the defenseman spot, which forward will best serve that role is a much more difficult decision.

Sharks Could Trade Back if Schaefer Isn’t Available

Although the draft lottery awarded the Sharks the second pick, they don’t have to stay at that spot. If Schaefer is off the board, they could trade down to later in the round, enticing a team who desperately wants someone like Hagens or Misa while collecting a few assets and still adding a quality player.

This strategy could allow them to draft a forward or a defenseman. For the former, they could trade down to around the seventh pick to snag Eklund or one of the other forwards projected to fall just outside the top five. If they want to stay focused on the blue line, they could move to 10th or so, where their focus would likely be Radim Mrtka, who is generally considered to be the best right-shot defenseman in the class. At the same time, they could acquire additional picks or a quality player or prospect to bolster their roster, and make such a trade worthwhile. A trade down should only happen if Schaefer isn’t an option, but if that proves to be the case, the Sharks can turn that setback into a positive for the franchise.

Sharks Have Opportunity to Add to Young Talent

After holding a top-five pick five times in the first 32 years of the franchise’s existence, the Sharks have such a selection for the third draft in a row. Their rebuild has been a slow process, and this year’s draft is another step. They’ve used the last few drafts to build up an exciting young core and create optimism for the franchise. If they take advantage of their draft position, they should only further strengthen that positive outlook.