The Sharks made a big move with their third pick of the 2026 NHL Draft’s first round, trading up to No. 21 overall and selecting another Canadian defenseman, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants.
San Jose certainly wanted Lin, sending Nos. 27, 62 and 120 to the Philadelphia Flyers to move up six spots and draft the 18-year-old. The mobile, right-shot defender grew up in Richmond, across the Fraser River from Vancouver, and posted 14 goals and 57 points in 53 games for the Giants this past season.
Welcome to the Sharks, Ryan Lin! pic.twitter.com/fEn392qUzO
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 27, 2026
Lin is the second defenseman drafted by the Sharks on Friday and third 18-year-old after they took Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 overall and North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9.
The Sharks originally acquired the 27th pick from the Buffalo Sabres, along with defenseman Michael Kesselring, in exchange for the No. 20 selection. Now they’ve utilized that trade to make another in search of talent that can help shore up their defense.
To the delight of many, Sharks general manager Mike Grier got greedy in the first round, and San Jose certainly hopes it pays off.
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