Sharks takeaways from NHL draft: Mike Grier, scouts put on a masterclass

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The biggest day in the recent history of the San Jose Sharks came on May 7, 2024, when they won the NHL draft lottery and grabbed the right to select star-in-waiting Macklin Celebrini first overall that year.

Perhaps what Sharks general manager Mike Grier and his staff did during the first round of the NHL draft on Friday might one day be considered a close second.

It appears the Sharks got exactly what they needed during an eventful first day at the KeyBank Center, selecting winger Ivar Stenberg second overall, 6-foot-4, 216-pound defenseman Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9, and fellow blueliner Ryan Lin at No. 21 after a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Nothing’s guaranteed, but the Sharks appear to have added a longtime top-six winger in Stenberg, a future top-pair defenseman in Verhoeff, and the smallish but skilled Lin, another right shot who might one day be on San Jose’s second pair.

“Fortunately, we have a GM that executes and gets players we really like,” Chris Morehouse, the Sharks’ director of amateur scouting, said of Grier. “It’s amazing to watch him work and go and acquire picks, and we really firmly believe, as a (staff), he’s willing to listen and try and get those picks.”

It was as productive a day as the Sharks and their scouting staff, led by director of player personnel, Scott Fitzgerald and Morehouse, could hope for, as they’ve now made nine first-round picks in just the last four years, including four in the top four after unexpectedly winning the second draw and the No. 2 pick in last month’s draft lottery.

“The foundation has started to be laid,” Grier said. “We got the luck on the lottery, the ball’s bouncing our way, to be able to add (Stenberg) at two. But to add three players that we think can really be a part of our core and be with us for a long time, it’s a big day for sure, and we feel good about it, and fortunate that this is how it’s turned out.

“These guys are definitely pieces that we were really excited to add.”

Three takeaways from day one of the draft:

STAYING PATIENT

The Sharks received calls from other teams about the second- and ninth-overall picks. Grier reiterated on Friday that he received an offer earlier this week for the No. 2 selection that really made him stop and think, with the other team putting up an established young NHL player.

The Sharks have talked about looking for ways to speed up the rebuild without sacrificing the future, and that trade might have been one.

But Grier said that Stenberg, who shone during an impressive season in the Swedish Hockey League and at the IIHF World Championship in May, was at the top of the Sharks’ draft board, ahead of fellow winger Gavin McKenna, who the Toronto Maple Leafs took No. 1 overall.

It’s a familiar line from any general manager after picking near the top of the draft. But it’s not hard to believe with Stenberg, who, despite his average 6-foot, 181-pound build, has a dog-on-a-bone mentality to go with elite playmaking skills and hockey sense. He projects to be a Calder Trophy candidate as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

Grier also said he received interest in the ninth overall selection right up until the start of the first round, but decided to keep the pick after he and his staff saw how the draft was unfolding with Verhoeff slipping out of the top eight.

While getting Stenberg was a lottery gift, the Sharks needed to come away from the draft with a defenseman, preferably a right-shot big guy. After Daxon Rudolph, Alberts Smits, Carson Carels, and Chase Reid all went in the top seven, the Sharks selected Verhoeff, who, at 17, was the youngest defenseman in NCAA Division I this past season

WHAT’S NEXT

Stenberg, 18, made no bones about it: he believes he can play in the NHL next season. Given his skill set and compete level, fans wouldn’t have to squint too hard to see Stenberg playing alongside either Celebrini, Michael Misa, or Alexander Wennberg in the Sharks’ season opener this fall.

Stenberg called Celebrini already one of the best centers in the world

“That would be sick,” Stenberg said. “Just give him the puck, and he will fix it. He’s a special player.”

Verhoeff said he’ll discuss his options with Grier, as he could return to North Dakota for a sophomore season, or sign an entry-level deal and turn pro. It sounds like returning Verhoeff to college is the way the Sharks will lean, hoping he improves his skating and decision-making.

“Give him a lot of credit for making the jump to college as a 17-year-old,” Grier said. “He’s still a young kid. Playing defense in this league it’s not an easy thing, and it’s not something we want to rush. We want to make sure we make the right decision for him, not only for today, but for the long haul.”

Lin will attend the University of Denver this fall and could be the latest in a line of impactful defensemen the Pioneers have had in recent years, including recent Sharks signee Eric Pohlkamp.

COMMON THREAD

The Sharks want to add competitive players to the organization and feel they’ve done that by selecting Stenberg, Verhoeff, and Lin.

The Sharks traded the 27th, 62nd, and 120th overall picks in this year’s draft to the Flyers to take Lin, described by Elite Prospects as the draft’s “most detailed defender” who “plays a remarkably consistent defensive and puck-moving game,” while projecting him as a likely top-four guy.

While the skill is one thing, Grier says smallish players like Stenberg and Lin need to be competitive.

“If you’re not going to be the 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 player, then you need to have competitiveness to play in this league, and to have success in this league,” Grier said. “Both these kids have that intelligence and the will to win puck battles and in play on the inside, so they have the mentality you need when you’re not the biggest guy in the room, and that goes a long way,

“When you watch the (Stanley Cup champion) Carolina (Hurricanes), they have some smaller guys, but they’re all competitive, so it’s a trait that goes back through the years in this league. If you’re a small guy and you want to have success, you better be competitive, and both these kids are.”