The off-season has officially reached a boiling point, and the San Jose Sharks are driving the chaos. In Episode 292 of The Fin Factor, Aaron is joined on the desk by Devereaux (with Paul currently traveling) to unpack a franchise-altering blockbuster trade. General manager Mike Grier has sent shockwaves through the league by trading core winger William Eklund as part of a package to secure a second top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The guys break down the trade anatomy, the subsequent domino effect across the league, and how this drastically alters the landscape of the Sharks’ rebuild heading into draft night.
The Blockbuster Trade Anatomy
In a move that caught the hockey world completely by surprise, the Sharks engineered a massive deal with the Ottawa Senators.
- San Jose Receives: The 9th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
- Ottawa Receives: Winger William Eklund, defensive prospect Brandon Svoboda, and winger Kasper Halttunen.
Aaron and Devereaux note the deep irony of the trade: before the draft lottery, the Sharks were mathematically projected to select 9th overall. After jumping up to #2 in the lottery, Grier apparently decided he still wanted that 9th slot. The pick itself was acquired by Ottawa just days prior in a separate mega-deal that sent Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, meaning Eklund is being brought in to immediately fill a top-six void left by Tkachuk.
The Byram Domino Effect
The plot thickened immediately after the Eklund trade went final. The panel reveals that the 9th overall pick was likely acquired as ammunition for a second trade that ultimately fell through.
The Sharks were heavily in the mix to acquire left-handed offensive defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. Rumors suggest Grier offered the newly acquired 9th pick, the 27th pick (via Buffalo from the Kesselring trade), and a middling prospect. However, the Chicago Blackhawks stepped in with a desperate overpay, sending the 4th overall pick to Buffalo to secure Byram and Jordan Greenway.
While losing out on Byram alters the immediate blue-line plans, Aaron praises Grier for holding his ground and refusing to surrender the #2 overall pick in a bidding war.
The New Draft Blueprint: Three First-Round Picks
With the Byram trade off the table, the Sharks head into Friday night controlling an astronomical amount of draft capital: the 2nd overall, 9th overall, and 27th overall picks.
- The #2 Pick is Locked: The departure of Eklund completely eliminates any remaining doubt about the second overall selection. Elite Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg is now a virtual lock to be selected. Stenberg’s elite 200-foot maturity, relentless motor, and pro league experience make him a plug-and-play replacement for Eklund.
- Weaponizing #9 and #27: The 9th overall pick represents a massive premium asset. Grier openly acknowledged that while five separate teams have consistently called to trade for their picks, he remains committed to his “Best Player Available” philosophy. If the Sharks keep the picks, expect them to target high-end right-handed defensive talent like Chase Reid or physical anchors like Keaton Verhoeff to marinate in the system.
The Massive Cap Space Fallout
From a macro organizational standpoint, trading away Eklund drastically shifts the financial board. Eklund’s contract carried a $5.6 million cap hit, and moving his salary launches the Sharks’ projected off-season cap space to a staggering $46.2 million.
With the team sitting comfortably below the NHL cap floor, Grier is now positioned to completely weaponize this space. The vultures are circling teams facing immense cap crunches—such as the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Edmonton Oilers. Expect the Sharks to facilitate salary dumps or aggressively target established, minute-munching defensemen via trade as teams look to clear compliance space before free agency opens on July 1st.
