Insider reveals the 3 frontrunner teams to trade up with Sharks for Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna
Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Ivar Stenberg and Gavin McKenna have pushed Ryan Warsofsky's Sharks into the draft's first real pressure point.
This is no longer just a San Jose decision. It's a market test.
David Pagnotta's Leafs Morning Take hit matters because the names attached are not background noise: Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Calgary Flames.
San Jose holds the No. 2 pick, right behind the Toronto Maple Leafs at No. 1, with Vancouver at No. 3, New York at No. 5, and Calgary at No. 6.
That board creates leverage for Mike Grier. The Sharks can draft Stenberg or McKenna, or they can make another team pay like it's chasing a franchise winger.
Pagnotta turns one draft slot into a bidding lane for teams trying to jump the board.
Re Ivar Stenberg: "There are gonna be teams that try to move up to try to draft him; Vancouver's probably gonna try, the Rangers; Calgary's gonna try to move up, so we'll see what happens with that 2 pick with San Jose."
- David Pagnotta
- David Pagnotta
San Jose can turn need into leverage
The Sharks finished 39-35-8 with a -41 goal differential, so this isn't a roster with one clean hole. It's a team still building around high-end youth and still needing structure.
That is why trading down has logic. San Jose already owns the No. 20 pick from Edmonton, giving Grier a chance to widen the haul instead of locking into one player.
Vancouver is the pressure team. The Canucks were 25-49-8 and went minus-100, so sitting at No. 3 and watching Stenberg or McKenna go one spot earlier would be a rough bench read.
The Rangers and Flames bring a different kind of push. Both finished with 77 points, and both need a player who can sell hope without needing a long runway.
It's widely expected, but not guaranteed, that the Leafs will take McKenna with the first pick. That leaves Stenberg.
Stenberg's value is the fit. He plays with pace, attacks off the flank, and brings the kind of top-six upside teams don't usually find outside the first few picks.
For San Jose, the smartest play may be patience. Let Vancouver sweat. Let New York call. Let Calgary decide how badly it wants the swing.
The No. 2 pick is now a pressure asset, not just a selection.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
A horrific crash leaves John Tortorella facing a nasty Vegas problem
A horrific crash leaves John Tortorella facing a nasty Vegas problem