After trading the 27th, 62nd and 120th picks in the 2026 draft in exchange for 21st with the Philadelphia Flyers, the San Jose Sharks have selected Ryan Lin. With this pick, as well as the previous ninth overall pick used on defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, the organization urgently hopes to improve the strength of the blue line.
Although Lin managed to record 57 points (14G, 43A) in his 53 games played with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants wearing the “A”, Lin’s team sincerely struggled and resulted in the defenseman putting up a glaring -19. His impressive 57 points, though, earned him a spot on the WHL (West) Second All-Star Team.
However, his team’s greater battles are not reflective of the talent Lin possesses. His most beneficial skill is his movement through the neutral zone. Strong pushes through the neutral zone are incredibly important for offensive rushes, and Lin deliberately and skillfully can maneuver this area to create dangerous scoring opportunities. This was evident when he represented Team Canada at the U18 World Juniors Championship, where he notched 6 points (1G, 5A) and a +7 in five games played. This performance not only earned him the title of most points by a defenseman in the tournament, he was also named a U18 World Juniors Championship top three player.
With defensive woes being a glaring issue for the Sharks, the organization and our goalies are desperately hoping to lean on the defensemen selected in the first round to improve the club's level of compete.
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