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The San Jose Sharks could be making good on NHL rumors ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft by moving their first-round pick.

The latest batch of NHL rumors has hit a new high following the extraordinary events on Tuesday night.

The NHL Draft Lottery was supposed to be an exciting event. But it went from exciting to absolutely exhilarating for one group of fans, and absolutely disastrous for another.

Among the fortunate fans were those of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto secured the top pick, moving up from 5^th to 1^st.

But there was another team that pulled off a stunning move up the board: The San Jose Sharks. And that’s where the latest batch of rumors comes from. The Sharks have had top-two picks in each of the last two drafts. The Sharks landed Macklin Celebrini first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Last season, the Sharks took Michael Misa second overall. Misa got a look in the NHL this season, but didn’t really make much of an impact.

That said, the Sharks don’t really need the pick. Yes, they could use it to take a top defenseman. But they could also trade down.

When asked about that possibility, Sharks GM Mike Grier fueled NHL rumors by stating that he might consider it.

“I’m always open to listening to what’s out there,” Grier said. “If people have ideas or thoughts, I’ll listen. We’ll kind of go from there.”

So, there might be a possibility out there. Grier would likely be getting calls from rival GMs very soon.

NHL Rumors Regarding Sharks Trading Down Make Sense

So, the NHL rumors regarding the Sharks moving down in the 2026 NHL Draft actually make sense. The Sharks have plenty of talent up front. But what they could really use is a solid defenseman.

The Sharks only have one NHL-caliber defenseman signed for next season. Meanwhile, Shakir Mukhamadullin is an RFA. 19-year-old Sam Dickinson is under contract, but he’s not quite ready for prime time just yet.

That’s pretty much it. The Sharks don’t have another solid blueliner coming up in their system. So, NHL rumors about the Sharks trading wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world.

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Sharks Could Move Down to 4^th or 5^th

As it stands, Gavin McKenna is the presumptive top pick. The next pick should be Ivar Stenberg. Those are two forwards that could transform any team. But assuming the Sharks want to target a defenseman, they could trade down to about fourth or fifth.

At that spot, the Sharks could target someone like Keaton Verhoeff or Chase Reid. Both prospects project as top-pairing blueliners. Reid currently ranks third in most mock drafts, while Verhoeff ranks fifth.

Could the Sharks make good on NHL rumors and pull off a deal with, say, the New York Rangers?

The Rangers fell from 3^rd to 5^th following the Draft Lottery. So, wouldn’t it make sense for the Rangers to see if they could move up? Landing the second-overall pick would give the Blueshirts a shot at either Stenberg or McKenna, depending on who the Maple Leafs choose.

It’s an intriguing idea, particularly when the Sharks are actually open to making something happen.