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Recent trades give the Sharks plenty of flexibility ahead of 2026 NHL draft

​  Recent trades give the Sharks plenty of flexibility ahead of 2026 NHL draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The San Jose Sharks have been on a roll in the front office under the guidance of GM Mike Grier.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Tuesday, the Sharks sent William Eklund, as well as Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the ninth overall pick of the 2026 NHL draft.The ninth pick Ottawa sent to San Jose was originally a Florida Panthers draft pick, but the Sens received it as part of Sunday’s Brady Tkachuk trade.Therefore, the Sharks now have three first-round draft picks (Nos. 2, 9, and 27). There are so many paths Grier and the Sharks can go down with this type of draft capital and value.Originally, before Senators gave the Sharks the ninth pick, there was some expectation that San Jose would look to draft a defenseman rather than the projected second-overall pick, Ivar Stenberg.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is because the Sharks already have a load of young offensive talent in the organization, with Macklin Celebrini leading the way. However, trading away Eklund not only cleared a spot on the roster but also brought in another top-10 pick, which might’ve given Grier the flexibility to draft Stenberg, as well as a young star D-man they require in the system.MORE: 2026 NHL draft: Do the Sharks give Macklin Celebrini another star winger or a No. 1 defenseman?If all goes according to plan, this would be a perfect plan by Grier. Drafting Stenberg with the No. 2 pick would be a smooth replacement for countryman Eklund. In fact, despite Stenberg being a left winger and Eklund being able to play both winger and center, Stenberg would be an overall upgrade over Eklund, and, not to mention, they get even younger, potentially drafting an 18-year-old and shipping out a 23-year-old.At the ninth pick, there are a few blueliners who could fall in that range. Alberts Smits and Daxon Rudolph could be available around the ninth pick.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnother decision the Sharks may consider is packaging their 9th and 27th picks to move up closer to the top five, which would guarantee them a solid defenseman. Along with Smits and Rudolph, moving up opens the possibility of taking Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, or even Chase Reid, who may be a top-three pick.Whatever Grier decides to do, it’s hard to come to a wrong conclusion with the luxury of assets he has in the cupboards. And with the Sharks nearly squeezing into the playoff picture last season and Celebrini racking up 115 points, San Jose will only be more competitive next year, despite whatever comes out of the draft for the franchise.Does Hurricanes’ Taylor Hall have a case for the Hockey Hall of Fame?Jets pass on Caleb Malhotra meeting at NHL Combine, sparks questions on potential fall in draftMitch Marner reverted to his Maple Leafs form wh      ​Read More Feedzy