Sharks 2026 Draft Haul Is a Three-Headed Monster
San Jose just spent three first-round picks on the kind of talent that rebuilds don't usually land in a single night. Ivar Stenberg, a highly regarded prospect, and a 6-foot-4 defenseman acquired by dealing William Eklund to Ottawa. That is not a draft. A statement.
The Sharks have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for seven straight seasons, and this offseason they are done waiting.
Stenberg Might Be the Best Player in This Draft
He kept it going at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, putting up 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) in just 8 games for Sweden.
That is not a small-sample fluke. A player who produces at every level, against older competition, in a league that does not give anything away.
"Stenberg believes Sharks have something good going on after busy draft night," the NHL reported.
He is right. Getting a player scouts compared to the Sedins at a high draft position is the kind of pick that defines a rebuild.
Celebrini Just Posted 115 Points at Age 19
The Sharks already have their franchise center. Celebrini finished fourth in the NHL with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games this season at age 19. Fourth in NHL scoring. Let that sink in. He also helped Team Canada win silver at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. In 152 career games across two seasons, he has shown everything you want to see from a top overall pick. And he is just getting started.
The Sharks are building around a 19-year-old who just cleared 100 points. They finished just outside of a wild-card spot in 2025-26. That is not a gap.
That is an offseason of smart moves away from being a real threat.
The Eklund Trade Is the Move That Tells You Everything
San Jose did not hold onto William Eklund because he was safe. They traded him to Ottawa for a high draft pick, then used it on a defenseman with skill, exactly the kind of player you want on a young core.
That is three first-round picks in one night, zero hesitation on moving established talent to accumulate more draft capital.
They have selected multiple players in the first round over the past few drafts, including several top picks. And now Stenberg.
The pipeline is not just deep. It is elite at the top.
FAQ: What This Means for the Sharks Right Now
Will the Sharks make the playoffs in 2026-27?
They were just outside of a wild-card spot last season. Another offseason of additions on top of this draft haul could push them into contention ahead of schedule.
It is not unrealistic to expect them in the conversation.
Who is the centerpiece of the rebuild?
Celebrini. He is 19, just cleared 100 points, and plays in all situations. Stenberg and other young talents give him exactly the kind of high-end support that successful teams have.
Is this the end of the seven-year drought?
Nobody is handing them a playoff spot. But the trajectory changed the moment Celebrini went first overall in 2024. Now add Stenberg and this year is already looking like the draft that put them over the top.
The Colorado Avalanche rebuilt their entire franchise between 2009 and 2013 by stacking top-10 picks — Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen. That group won a Stanley Cup. The Sharks are pulling from the same playbook, at the same pace, with a 19-year-old four-time scorer already in the fold. The drought ends. Question: not if. The question is when — and whether you are paying attention yet.