What Will Sharks Do With No. 9 Pick?

What a wild Draft week this has been already.

The NHL Draft is finally upon us. The newest crop of talent will wait eagerly to hear their names called. 32 lives will be forever changed Friday night. Three of them (at this moment) will be the San Jose Sharks.

It has been an absolute whirlwind of a week across the NHL. Multiple big-name players have found new homes. Most notable to Sharks fans is William Eklund. Eklund was traded for the 9th overall pick on Tuesday afternoon. The trade has everybody convinced the Sharks will draft Ivar Stenberg second overall.

What about the 9th overall pick, though?

Great question. GM Mike Grier held a press conference after the Eklund trade. He said many teams have inquired about that pick. That makes it very difficult to guess what will happen.

It does seem hard to believe he will trade that pick, though. The Sharks’ glaring need is defense, and there are quite a few defensive prospects ranked in the top 10.

First, there is Chase Reid. However, it would take a big trade for the Sharks to move into the top 5 to draft him. I just do not see that happening.

Then there is Keaton Verhoeff. ESPN and Bleacher Report have the Sharks drafting him 9th overall. He stands at 6’ 4” and weighs 217 pounds. This past NCAA season, he scored 6 goals and added 14 assists. It may not seem like big numbers, but he was committed to developing his defensive game, much like what Sam Dickinson did for the Sharks. Oh, and he is a righty.

In the NHL’s final mock draft, they have the Sharks drafting Daxon Rudolph. He is 6′ 2” and 205 pounds. Last season in the WHL, he scored 28 goals and added 50 assists in 68 games. He is also a righty.

Unless things get really weird between now and pick number 9, I expect the Sharks to draft one of these two players. Either way, San Jose will gain a terrific defensive prospect.

Remember, the Draft is for long-term growth. While neither player will be ready this year, they will be around for a long time.

Strap in, Sharks fans.

It is going to be a wild summer.