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Sharks trade for 9th pick, select defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

6/27/2026

26 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Sharks Draft Verhoeff

The San Jose Sharks selected defenseman Keaton Verhoeff with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
General manager Mike Grier obtained the pick by trading William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to Ottawa.
Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 defenseman who posted six goals and 20 points in 36 games for the University of North Dakota, plans to return for his sophomore season while discussing his path with Grier.

Summary

Cullen Drafted

Wyatt Cullen was chosen No. 10 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild.
Cullen is the son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen, highlighting a family legacy.
He grew five inches to six-foot-one-inch and posted 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 34 USHL games last season.
The Wild entered the draft with five selections, beginning with the first pick in the third round.

Summary

Verhoeff Leads Canada

Verhoeff is projected to assume a larger role for Canada at the 2027 World Junior Championship.
He captured gold at the Under-17 World Challenge and bronze at the 2026 World Juniors.
As the third-youngest WHL player to join North Dakota’s Division I program, he made the NCHC All-Rookie team as a freshman.

Summary

San Jose Top-Two

San Jose earned a top-two draft slot for third straight year after climbing from ninth-best lottery odds.
Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa were selected first and second overall in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Ivar Stenberg tallied 11 goals and 33 points in 43 SHL games for Frölunda last season.
A new NCAA rule allowing former CHL players to compete in college hockey enabled Verhoeff’s freshman season with the Fighting Hawks.

History

Historical Context

The Sharks drafted left-winger Jeff Friesen 11th overall in the 1994 entry draft. In 2026 they traded William Eklund and Brandon Svoboda to Ottawa for a ninth-overall pick, which they used on defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, continuing the franchise’s pattern of using high first-round selections to bolster its team's future defense.

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Sharks Draft Verhoeff

The San Jose Sharks selected defenseman Keaton Verhoeff with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
General manager Mike Grier obtained the pick by trading William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to Ottawa.
Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 defenseman who posted six goals and 20 points in 36 games for the University of North Dakota, plans to return for his sophomore season while discussing his path with Grier.

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