"The San Jose Sharks have a great crew of young players, headlined by Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Will Smith, William Eklund, Igor Chernyshov, and Yaroslav Askarov. Even beyond them, their prospect depth goes very deep. Jumping up to the second-overall pick after having just the ninth-best odds at it was a big stroke of luck."
"A lot of connections are being made to Auston Matthews. For new general manager John Chayka, moving Matthews as one of his first moves likely wouldn't be popular, but if he could bring in the second-overall pick along with the first-overall pick they already own, they would certainly be the star of the draft."
"It would take more than second-overall to get Matthews, and the question regarding his no-move clause certainly comes into play, but there are a lot of reasons to think that this deal could come to fruition. The Sharks have a plethora of assets the Maple Leafs would want, and Matthews with Celebrini up the middle would be one of the best duos in the NHL."
"Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes have swept the Philadelphia Flyers and are on a historic run through the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs."
San Jose holds the second-overall pick after moving up from ninth-best odds and has a deep prospect group led by Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Will Smith, William Eklund, Igor Chernyshov, and Yaroslav Askarov. The team lacks many high-impact veterans, so adding an established player could pair with its young core. Links connect the Sharks to Auston Matthews, with the possibility of using the second-overall pick and the first-overall pick they already own, though his no-move clause and the cost of acquiring him remain major factors. Jason Robertson is also mentioned as another potential target. Los Angeles has a coaching vacancy, and Bruce Cassidy could be considered if he does not join Edmonton. Carolina has swept Philadelphia and is on a historic run through the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Read at The Hockey Writers
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