Sharks select Ivar Stenberg second overall at NHL draft

Curtis Pashelka, Bay Area News Group on Jun 26, 2026

Published in Hockey

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — The San Jose Sharks added another immensely talented forward to their already overflowing class of young star players on Friday, selecting Swedish-born winger Ivan Stenberg second overall in the first round of the NHL draft at KeyBank Center.

The Sharks took Stenberg, NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked international skater, at No. 2 after the Toronto Maple Leafs unsurprisingly took Penn State winger Gavin McKenna at No. 1.

McKenna, the top-ranked North American skater, was at the top of most notable mock drafts, as he and Stenberg were considered this year’s two best draft-eligible players.

Competing against seasoned professionals, Stenberg, 18, posted 35 points in 45 games for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League this past season. He also performed well for Sweden at the IIHF World Championship in May with eight points in eight games, and might be ready to make the jump to the NHL this fall.

The Sharks have now added Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa and Stenberg with their first pick in each of the last four drafts.

Celebrini, the No. 1 selection in 2024, scored a single-season team record of 115 points this past season, and Smith, the fourth overall pick in 2023, was second on the team with 59 points in 69 games. Misa, the No. 2 pick last year, had 21 points in 45 games as a rookie.

As soon as the Sharks traded William Eklund and two prospects to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, speculation began that they would use the No. 2 selection on Stenberg, an elite playmaker who possesses a strong two-way game and exceptional hockey sense. Rather than draft for need, such as a young, right-shot defenseman, the Sharks simply took the player they believed was the best available in Stenberg.

The Sharks also hold the ninth overall pick, acquired from the Senators on Tuesday in the Eklund trade, and the 27th pick they got from the Buffalo Sabres earlier this month as part of the trade that brought defenseman Michael Kesserling to San Jose.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said earlier this week that he had received multiple calls from opposing GMs regarding the second and ninth overall selections. But instead of using the No. 2 pick on a defenseman, moving back in the draft, or acquiring an NHL player who might help immediately, they took the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Stenberg.

The Sharks finished the season and won the right to the second overall pick this year at the draft lottery in May.

After the Leafs won the right to select first overall, the Sharks — with only a 5.2% chance — won the second draft lottery, marking the third straight year they could draft inside the top two. They took Celebrini at No. 1 in 2024 and Michael Misa second overall last year.

The Sharks were most likely to come out of the lottery with the ninth or 10th overall selection, as they held just 50 of 1,000 four-digit combinations available to them.

In Stenberg, San Jose adds another high-end player who might be available to help next season as the team tries to end its now seven-year playoff drought.