Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft is complete, and the Sharks have made their final selections in this year’s draft. They had three picks remaining after their masterclass of a first round last night and made a pretty significant re-signing as well. Let’s get into them:
The first order of business that the Sharks took care of on day two of the NHL Draft is re-signing center Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2.35 million. Ostapchuk was a solid fourth-line center last season, setting personal bests with four goals and seven points along with tying a career high in three assists in 59 games. He also ranked second on the Sharks last season with a 51.6 percent faceoff win percentage, third on the team in hits with 140, and fourth among Sharks forwards with 2.92 blocked shots per 60 minutes. I am glad that the Sharks signed Zack Ostapchuk to a new contract and are keeping him around for the next four years, and I hope he elevates his game to the next level next season.
The first selection the Sharks made on day two of the 2026 NHL Draft was goalie Brady Knowling from the U.S. National Team Development Program with the 127th overall pick in the fourth round. Last season with the USNTDP Juniors, Knowling compiled an 8-5-1 record, 3.33 goals-against average, and .886 save percentage in 15 games. These stats rank him first in wins and second in goals-against average and save percentage on his respective squad. Knowling plans to join the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL next season before heading to Boston University the following season. This selection maintains the Sharks' tradition and philosophy of taking at least one goalie in the draft every year.
The Sharks' second late-round selection made this afternoon was forward Jake Gustafson from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL with the 174th overall pick in the sixth round. A San Jose native, former Jr. Shark, and son of SAP Center & Sharks Ice Senior Vice President Jon Gustafson, Jake Gustafson recorded 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points in 68 games for Portland last season. He is committed to Colorado College starting in the 2027-28 season.
Lastly, the Sharks' final selection of the 2026 NHL Draft is defenseman Alexander Karmanov from the North Bay Battalion of the OHL with the 201st overall pick in the seventh round. This is a pretty notable pick, as Karmanov is the tallest player to ever be drafted into the NHL at 7'1'' and the first-ever NHL draft pick from Moldova. He began last season with the Brantford Titans of the GOJHL before signing with and finishing the season with the North Bay Battalion. Karmanov recorded three goals, four assists, and seven points in 15 games with Brantford along with two assists in 20 games with North Bay in 2025-26. He is set to attend Penn State University in the fall of 2027-28.
With these six selections, the 2026 NHL Draft will go down as one of the greatest drafts in Sharks history. Besides their three first-round picks from last night, I like each of the Sharks' later-round selections that they made today and hope each of them are future studs in the making. Next up, the Sharks begin their prospect development camp next week, and NHL free agency opens on July 1. I cannot wait to find out what Big Money Mike Grier is cooking up for the Sharks to begin free agency. Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for more updates.
Sources: NHL Network, Sjsharks.com, Sharks + SAP Center App, Sjsharksnews via Instagram, Curtis Pashelka via X
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