Sharks Acquire #21 From Flyers, Select Ryan Lin

The San Jose Sharks weren’t happy enough after selecting Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff in the top-10 of Friday night’s first round. They then traded up to 21st-overall, sending the 27th-overall, 62-overall, and 120th-overall pick back to the Philadelphia Flyers. San Jose used the pick to select defensman Ryan Lin out of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.

Lin was lauded as a two-way impact for much of the year, despite being the only first-round defense prospect standing under 6-foot tall. He never shied away from contact or hard-earned plays, using an active stick and smart contact to power off opponents while defending the rush. Lin was quickly exciting when he gained possession, boasting strong puck-control and heads-up passing to drive play up the ice. He flaunted another gear when Vancovuer gained the offensive zone. Lin’s fast stickhandling and smooth, hard wrist-shot made him a force from the blue-line when he had the time-and-space to make a play.

Those traits pulled together into a true, full-ice impact that San Jose will now buy for the price of a few extra picks. Lin should find a cushy role in San Jose, supported by top pick Verhoeff and reigning Hobey Baker finalist Eric Pohlkamp on the right-side. First, Lin will head to the University of Denver, where he will play behind fourth-overall pick Daxon Rudolph next season. The duo were two of the WHL’s top defensemen this season and should stand as a dominant one-two punch in the NCHC.

Philadelphia drafted defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with their turn of the pick-swap. The Kazakhstan-native played in just his second season in North America this year – and struggled to communicate with his teammates on the OHL’s London Knights at the start of the year. That made him a focal point of Mark Hunter’s coaching, leading to major growth as the year went on. While Sokolovskii only managed eight points on the year, he shined as a physical defender and grew in his ability to move pucks and connect with teammates. Philadelphia will take a major swing for upside in landing the towering, 6-foot-7 defenseman.