Despite being down generational talent, superstar Macklin Celebrini, the San Jose Sharks managed to come out on top over the St. Louis Blues with a 3-2
The San Jose Sharks got some good luck during the NHL draft lottery, gaining the opportunity to make a selection at No. 2 overall to add to an already-impressive core of young talent.
Ivar Stenberg is worth a second look, because this young player might be the real deal for Calder Trophy talk this year. Shoutout right off the bat to Luca Pampena, whose Substack has some genuinely great draft and prospect breakdowns.
People love a good mid-round draft pick that pans out, and in the NHL you used to see those fairly often, but that’s obviously partially luck. If the Red Wings thought Nicklas Lidstrom was going to become a top-five defenseman in history, they wouldn’t have waited until the 53rd pick to take him.
The top two players in the 2026 NHL Draft already look like they’re going to be franchise pillars. Toronto won the lottery and took Gavin McKenna first overall, leaving Ivar Stenberg for the San Jose Sharks at No.
Ivar Stenberg just put together the kind of preseason night that makes people sit up and pay attention: a hat trick and an assist in a lopsided 10-0 win over Anaheim.
The 2027 Calder Trophy race already has quite a few candidates, and the preseason hasn’t even ended yet. Usually this race is full of players drafted at the very top.
The preseason is in full swing, and although the San Jose Sharks have yet to win a game so far, the past two games have been very telling, especially following today’s round of roster cuts.
The San Jose Sharks have made a habit of turning premium draft picks into franchise pillars. Macklin Celebrini arrived first overall in 2024 and became a superstar.
People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.
The San Jose Sharks have been applauded this summer for the strength of their young prospects. One of those prospects put together a fabulous performance at the Rookie Faceoff.
The first five players taken in the 2026 NHL draft have already demonstrated their talents throughout their amateur careers. Now the question is—can they show off those skills and make significant contributions to the teams that picked them this season?