Stenberg, Sharks' 1st-round picks impress at development camp

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks gave fans a first look at their three first-round picks from the 2026 NHL Draft when they all attended development camp at Tech CU Arena.

Ivar Stenberg, the No. 2 pick, capped off his three days at development camp with a goal in the prospect scrimmage July 2, the final day of the three-day camp and the same day he signed a three-year, entry-level contract.

"It's been amazing," Stenberg said. "Meeting new guys and being here for the first time, it's been amazing."

The forward is projected to turn pro this season, but San Jose is taking a different approach with the development of Keaton Verhoeff, working with the No. 9 pick a bit more closely to evaluate his skill set.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier was impressed with the talent on display from the University of North Dakota defenseman.

“He’s looked good. He’s got a great personality. I think people are attracted to him and spend time with him,” Grier said of Verhoeff on the final day of the camp. “On the ice, he’s been pretty smooth. His puck movement, how clean he is on the retrieval work, and things like that have been great. His shot stands out, too. Scored at a pretty good clip for a D-man yesterday in the drill.”

Although there's a chance for him to jump right into the NHL, Verhoeff appears to be a longer-term project for the Sharks and is expected to head back to North Dakota for his sophomore season. He knows he needs to improve his skating if he wants to turn pro.

"Obviously, (skating is) a big thing that I want to work on," Verhoeff said. "To be out there doing some skating drills and working on my feet, working on my edges, it's huge."

Ryan Lin, the No. 21 pick, will be heading to the University of Denver this season to join the reigning NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey champions. After scoring 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 53 games for Vancouver of the Western Hockey League last season, the defenseman could take on a big role in college.

Fellow Sharks defenseman prospect Eric Pohlkamp, who attended Denver, signed a two-year, entry-level contract with San Jose on April 16, giving Lin a chance to take the 2026 Hobey Baker Award finalist's vacated spot.

"It's one of the best spots in the world to go play college," Pohlkamp said. "I know (Lin) hasn't been out there yet, but I know he's really excited. There's going to be an opening in the back. We had a couple of 'D' leave, and just enjoy it too. Every year it gets better and better."

Though he knows he is bound for college, Lin made his excitement about the Sharks' future evident.

"The last five days for me have been pretty overwhelming. It was stressful for a bit, but now it's just pure excitement," Lin said June 30, four days after being drafted. "This organization is going up rapidly, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Though Stenberg, Verhoeff and Lin were the stars of camp, it was hard to miss defenseman Alexander Karmanov. A seventh-round pick (No. 201) in 2026, Karmanov (7-foot-1, 272 pounds) is the tallest player ever drafted into the NHL. His height won't allow him to bypass the development necessary to contribute in the NHL, and he is ready for the challenge.

"I don't think any sports other than hockey can have those real emotions on the ice," Karmanov said. "It's fast. (You make) so many relationships. It's great, it's the best sport in the world."

San Jose director of player development Todd Marchant understands each player's development plan varies. Even though he is optimistic about the Sharks’ future, he also knows there's no rushing success and that each player takes his own path to playing at the NHL level.

"No two development paths are the same," Marchant said. "It’ll be interesting to see which path each player takes. At the end of the day, there’s no rush. There’s no rush to get to the NHL. I say this a lot: We don’t want players just to play in the NHL, we want them to have success."