Sharks take goalie, a son of a team executive and a 7-footer on final day of NHL draft

Curtis Pashelka, Bay Area News Group on Jun 27, 2026

Published in Hockey

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — The San Jose Sharks made three picks on the second and final day of the NHL draft on Saturday, including taking the son of a team executive who played professionally more than three decades ago and a 7-foot defenseman.

The Sharks selected U.S. National Development Team goalie Brady Knowling 127th overall in the fourth round, and center Jake Gustafson at No. 174 in the sixth round.

With their sixth and final pick of the draft, the Sharks at No. 201 selected North Bay Battalion defenseman Alexander Karmanov, who is listed on the team’s website as 7 feet tall and 265 pounds. Karmanov is the tallest player ever drafted into the NHL. If he makes it to the NHL, he would be the tallest player in league history.

The 18-year-old Knowling, who will play with Saginaw of the OHL next season and has committed to Boston University for 2027-28, posted a 15-12-0 record with an .880 save percentage in 33 games with the U.S. National U18 Team. He also played one game for the U.S. at the under-20 World Junior Championships this past winter.

Gustafson, also 18, had 25 points in 68 games with Portland of the WHL this past season. For the 2027-28 season, he has committed to play at Colorado College, where his dad, Jon, the senior vice president of SAP Center & Sharks Ice, played from 1987 to 1991. He also played pro in five different leagues, most recently with the Reno Renegades of the now-defunct West Coast Hockey League.

The 57-year-old Jon Gustafson, 57, has also served as the president of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda since the start of the 2022-23 season.

Karmonov had two points in 20 games for North Bay this season.

The Sharks finished the draft with six picks after trading the 27th, 62nd, and 120th overall selections to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday for the to take defenseman Ryan Lin of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants at No. 21.

The Sharks on Friday began the draft by taking winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 and North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9.