Matt Johnson
Holding the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, there is a lot of buzz around hockey right now regarding what the San Jose Sharks will do with their top pick. In the latest NHL mock draft by The Athletic, one new avenue has been proposed.
Eric Stephens of The Athletic has San Jose is selecting winger Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick. While the Sharks taking the consensus second-best prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft is not a surprise, it is the rationale and follow-up move that makes the decision unique.
Related: San Jose Sharks named Potential Trading Landing Spot for Vet Defenseman
Stephen notes that in The Athletic’s NHL staff mock draft, no compelling trade offers were made to him as the de facto Sharks general manager for the second overall pick. Instead, he took Stenberg and then flipped winger William Eklund to the New York Rangers in exchange for Braden Schneider and a third-round pick.
“Going with the super-skilled Stenberg allowed me to deal William Eklund to the Rangers for right-shooting Braden Schneider and the best of New York’s four third-round picks to replace one San Jose doesn’t have. Schneider, 24, is young enough to grow with the Sharks’ young core.”
The Athletic’s Eric Stephen on drafting Ivan Stenberg for the San Jose Sharks, trading William Eklund
Schneider, who turns 25 years old in September, would certainly fit the Sharks’ timeline with their young core. Selected 19th overall by the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Draft, the right-handed defenseman is coming off another productive season.
- Braden Schneider stats (2025-26): 18 points (16 assists and 2 goals), 20:27 average time on ice per game, 141 blocks, 163 hits, 22 takeaways in 82 games
Neither The Athletic‘s Chris Johnston nor ESPN‘s Greg Wyshynski listed Schneider among the top NHL trade candidates in 2026. However, his name has been circulated in NHL trade rumors, and Jim Cerny of ForeverBlueShirts.com made the case for why the Rangers could make a deal with San Jose.
Related: Expert Predicts New Sharks’ Pick in 2026 NHL Mock Draft
Schneider is a restricted free agent, so the Sharks would need to figure out a long-term deal with him if acquired. Early projections from Spotrac have him slated to make in the ballpark of $6 million per season.
It is certainly not out of the question that San Jose could trade from its surplus of forwards to find a right-handed defenseman who could solve the team’s biggest issues. Another possibility, as suggested by Cerny, would be a package deal with Schneider and the fifth overall pick going to San Jose in exchange for the second overall pick.
Related: Scouts, Execs Predict Who Sharks Will Draft with No. 2 Pick
After weeks of reports and NHL mock drafts all pointing to the Sharks taking a defenseman with the second overall pick, there now seem to be more signs that Stenberg could be the selection. A definitive answer is still a few weeks away, but the expectation remains that the Sharks will be very active this summer with the focus on building a playoff-caliber supporting cast around Macklin Celebrini.
