San Jose Sharks at the NHL Combine – So, Who’s Coming to Dinner? – Hockey Writers – San Jose Sharks

With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft less than a month away, the San Jose Sharks continue to work to decide who they should select with the second overall pick. While dinners between teams and prospects at the Draft Combine don’t tell the full story of who a team is targeting, they do provide some angles to examine and a chance to dive deeper into certain players. At this year’s conference, it is reported that the Sharks had dinner with six of them, and four of them went public. All four will bring unique skills to San Jose, and the team will take different approaches to form each of them.

Ivar Stenberg

From the moment the Sharks got the second pick in the Draft Lottery, the entire hockey world knew that Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg might end up in San Jose. He’s ranked first or second on major boards during the draft, and Sharks general manager Mike Grier often takes the best player available for high draft picks. His combination of intelligence, skill and competitiveness allows him to make a huge impact on both offense and defense.

This past season, the Sharks won only two games in which Macklin Celebrini did not escape. They still have a lot of work to do to improve their offense, and Stenberg could fulfill a combination of need and best player available as a complement to the many promising forwards they already have.

Chase Reid

Over the past few weeks, several mock drafts have depicted the Sharks using the second pick to take American defenseman Chase Reid. The fit makes a lot of sense – San Jose only has three players with NHL experience under contract for next season, and the only known asset among them is the aging Dmitry Orlov. Reid isn’t as big as Stenberg in most ratings, but he’s widely regarded as the best defender in this year’s class. He adds that he is right-handed, and the game against the Sharks is very loud.

In addition to being a skilled yet unspectacular defender, Reid offers great offensive ability from the blue line, whether as a puck carrier, passer or shooter. The Sharks need defensemen who can start their offense, and adding Reid could be the next step in making this a complete team.

Keaton Verhoeff

Once heralded as the best player this year, Canadian defenseman Keaton Verhoeff has fallen a bit short, but is still highly regarded. Another righty, his 6-foot-4 frame and more than 200 pounds fit the Sharks’ desire to protect big players. His physicality and strength stand out on defense, but he is also an excellent puck mover. Combined with a solid shooting and hockey IQ, he is a quarterback with power play skills, something the Sharks could use, as their power play has finished mid-to-low in the NHL in recent seasons.

Verhoeff’s skating could use improvement, and he will need time to get up to NHL speed. Given how many prospects the Sharks have released recently, the two would be a good match to make him a top linebacker.

Carson Carels

In an effort to determine the categories of defensemen in this draft, Canadian blueliner Carson Cares has gradually moved into the top spot. Although he takes a lot of risk for offense, he is one of the best athletes and passers in the draft with a strong shot. His defense is defined by his involvement and willingness to put his body on the line by taking hits and blocking shots. The Sharks expect to be a playoff team soon, but they need to put a better defense in front of their offense to do that. Carels could help set the defensive tone for San Jose while also boosting the Sharks’ offense.

As a left tackle, Carels wouldn’t fit into the Sharks system like Reid or Verhoeff. But with the Sharks loading up on inexperienced and unproven players, he will still get opportunities to prove himself and earn his place in San Jose’s future plans.

Sharks Have Multiple Draft Options

The Sharks could come up with a second team in a number of ways, and it’s safe to assume that all four of the players mentioned above could be in the spotlight. Drafting Stenberg will help build their offense around Celebrini, while taking any of the defensemen will strengthen a unit that has been one of the worst in the NHL for the past few seasons.

They could stay in the second round to take Stenberg, but trade up to grab Verhoeff or Carels. Reid is the most ambiguous candidate, as drafting him could involve any of those options. The decision depends on which player the Sharks feel will improve them the most, combined with how much value they think they can get out of second team assets.

If the Sharks’ plans for next season come to fruition, it could be the last time he plans so high for a while. They should look at jumping on the second pick as a great opportunity, and now they have a lot of different ways to use it.