After waiting for some playoff results to shake out, the San Jose Sharks now know they’ll hold the second and 30th picks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. It’s the third straight draft in which they’ll hold two first-round picks, and possibly the most difficult of the three in which to make their choices given that the top choices are not as clearly delineated as in previous drafts. The Sharks might not know which players they’ll take yet, but they do have a best general path of taking one forward and one defenseman to start their drafting. The specifics of how they do so are still to be determined, but they can deepen their prospect pool and round out their core of young players with the right selections.
Sharks Can Fill Team Needs
The Sharks are trending in a positive direction, but they still finished with the NHL’s worst record this season while scoring the fewest goals in the league and allowing the most. They have plenty of improvements to make on offense and defense, and getting two opportunities to do so in the first round is a privilege.
In recent years, the Sharks have drafted or otherwise acquired several quality young forwards. A few of them have turned into legitimate NHL players, and a handful more look like they could reach that mark if they continue to grow. However, their offensive performance as a team this season was inconsistent at best, and they don’t have four lines’ worth of forwards that can play competitive offense in every game yet. Adding a top-tier forward at the draft would be a great step in getting closer to that accomplishment.
The Sharks’ defensive side might be even more in need of a boost, given the ways in which it has lagged behind their offense. Over the last two seasons, their defense hasn’t been up to par, and they need to start picking that up for the eventual return to contention they obviously want to have. Their blue line, when fully built out, should have a mix of veterans and young homegrown talent. They can add to the latter in a significant way on draft night, but thanks to having two picks, they don’t need to put their sole focus on that side of the ice.
Sharks Have Several Ways to Draft Players
While the Sharks need to take advantage of the two picks they have, they can approach the draft in a number of different ways and choose a number of different players to fulfill their desired outcomes. They don’t even necessarily need to stay at their current pick slots.
The Sharks could trade down from the second pick or up from the 30th in order to gain some extra assets or grab a preferred player. Even the possibility of trading up to the first pick from the New York Islanders shouldn’t be ruled out for the right price. The question then becomes which players to take, based on whether they stay with their current picks or move, and they have a wide range of options.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Defenseman Matthew Schaefer would be the Sharks’ best possible choice and the only player for whom they’d acquire the first pick, but the Islanders could snag him instead. Assuming that happens, the Sharks would most likely take a forward if they stay at the second pick, since most of the top prospects at this year’s draft are forwards. Michael Misa is the most likely option, but Porter Martone, Victor Eklund and James Hagens are all worthy of consideration for various reasons. Martone, Eklund and Roger McQueen could be candidates if the Sharks trade down to the middle of the top 10.
On the defenseman side, the Sharks wouldn’t choose a non-Schaefer blueliner second overall. That pick would instead come from the 30th spot, a trade-up from 30th or a trade down from number two. They’re more in need of right-shot defensemen, so they’d probably go that way if the lefty Schaefer isn’t available. Possible choices if they stay at 30 include Blake Fiddler and Henry Brzustewicz, while candidates for a traded pick — up or down — could be Logan Hensler or Radim Mrtka.
Last season, the Sharks cashed in some of their assets to trade up from the 14th overall pick to the 11th, which paid off when they landed a top blue line prospect in Sam Dickinson. General manager Mike Grier is willing to move in the draft under the right circumstances, and he might again this year — but if he doesn’t, he’ll still have plenty of good options.
Sharks Continuing to Build Elite Prospect Group
The Sharks’ prospect pool is arguably the best in the NHL, and now they have a chance to add to it even further. By drafting both a forward and a defenseman, they can keep their promising young core balanced and well-rounded. They have a long way to go to be a complete hockey team, but a strong first round at this year’s draft is their next opportunity to take a step in that direction.
