The San Jose Sharks continued aggressively at the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday, June 26. They traded six spots to acquire the 21st overall pick from the Philadelphia Flyers and used it to select defenseman Ryan Lin.

To go up, San Jose sent Philadelphia its 27th, 62nd, and 120th overall picks. The price for a jump of six spots was pretty huge. It was clear how strongly the team valued Lin compared to the rest of the players in that spot.

Lin is a right-handed defenseman who spent the 2025-26 season with the WHL's Vancouver Giants. He scored 14 goals and 57 points in 53 games. Lin even captained Canada at the Under-18 World Championship and has committed to the University of Denver for next year.

The analyst Keegan McNally called Lin a potential top-four defenseman, explaining that even without the highest offensive ability, he is still a reliable contributor.

The Sharks have clearly put hockey intelligence as a priority in their rebuild, and Lin fits that case perfectly. People do believe that his offensive production will continue to get better as he develops physically.

“His smarts have translated to the scoresheet," wrote The Hockey Writers analyst Logan Horn. "As a defenceman, he has had back-to-back seasons with over 50 points for the Vancouver Giants, with this season being his best with 56 points in 51 games. His offensive output has not gone unnoticed by the Giants."

This move, too, shows us a pattern that general manager Mike Grier has used throughout the draft. When the organization has a strong pull towards one player, it acts immediately. 

Sharks Continue Building a Deep Core

Lin's selection was just a part of the other notable selections that San Jose made in this draft weekend. The Sharks had already selected Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 overall and Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9. This gave them three first-round picks on a single night.

On Day 2, the Sharks picked Jake Gustafson at No. 174, who stands at 6-foot-4, a right-handed center, as per San Jose's official X account. The son of SAP Center vice president Jon Gustafson, scored 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games for the Portland Winterhawks and is

With their final pick at No. 201, San Jose selected Alexander Karmanov, a 7-foot-1 Moldovan defenseman from the North Bay Battalion. He became the tallest player ever chosen in an NHL Draft.

Apart from the drafts, San Jose agreed to a four-year, $9.4 million extension with forward Zack Ostapchuk. The deal is $2.35 million on average annually and keeps him locked in after a season. He contributed a 51.6 percent faceoff rate and made 140 hits across 59 games.

Along with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa, and the rest of the growing roster, the Sharks' additions this week give Grier’s rebuilding a little more ease.

What do you think of San Jose's selection of Lin? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar