In 2026, the San Jose Sharks had one of the best drafts in the franchise’s history. The Sharks had three first-round picks, and as if to prove just how good the draft went for San Jose, Ryan Lin, the player coming in tenth on our Top 25 Under 25 list this year, was the third player picked by General Manager Mike Grier. Lin was drafted 21st overall, but some experts felt he should have been drafted higher. Like number 11 on our list, Luca Cagnoni, Lin might have been held back by his size. He’s sub-six-feet and for a defenseman, some people see that as a negative.
Position: Defenseman
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180 pounds
Age: 18
Date of Birth: April 18, 2008
Draft Year: 2026 (21st overall by San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Right
2026-27 Team: University of Denver (NCAA)
Lin spent last season as the captain of the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. It was his second season in the WHL and he built on his success from his season as a16-year-old season. In his 2025-26 season, when he was just 17-years-old, Lin had 57 points (14 G, 43 A) in 53 games. Lin’s 57 points led the entire team, forward or defenseman. He was 11th among defensemen in all of the WHL.
What we like
Lin is a very smart player. He’s skilled with the puck, and he moves it well out of the defensive zone. That, in itself, makes him a very likable defenseman. However, add to that a bit of a mean streak and his competitiveness, and it’s no wonder that GMMG traded up to grab him.
Lin will initiate contact behind the net or in the defensive zone. He will make or take a hit to make a play. It’s that extra grit to his game that makes him a first-round draft pick that many experts are high on.
Areas of improvement
Of course, like all later-round first-rounders, Lin is not without his warts. Some prospect evaluators believe that he holds onto the puck a little too long and that he tries to do too much with it. As a result, he makes mistakes, and because he is not an “explosive” skater, he can’t always make up for those mistakes. When Lin has a head of steam going, he’s speedy enough and he moves and maneuvers well, but those first few steps aren’t great and he can’t always catch up to the play.
Those short strides are a result of his size and they can get him in trouble in his own end.
Derek Neumeier of McKeen’s Hockey wrote in his pre-draft analysis in April, “There are times where Lin can struggle deep in his own end against opposing forechecks and cycles, because he can’t quite escape quickly or smoothly enough with the puck. And then, once he is hemmed in, he often has difficulty using his feet to make defensive stops and win back possession.”
While height is something that Lin cannot fix, his weight can be. Lin needs to bulk up a bit more, something that’s common for a lot of 18-year-olds. We expect that will be something he’ll easily fix this season.
What’s next for Lin?
Lin leaves the WHL and heads to the NCAA, like many of those CHL players are now doing. But the good news for Sharks fans is that he’s headed to the University of Denver, where Head Coach David Carle has had very good success in developing defensemen. Carle, as Sharks fans know, has worked with Sharks’ prospect Eric Pohlkamp. He’s also worked with Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Zeev Buium.
Lin will have a chance to play alongside fellow 2026 first-round pick Daxon Rudolph, 2025 second-round pick Blake Fiddler and San Jose Sharks’ prospect Max Heise.
We don’t expect to see Lin turn pro any time soon (i.e., in the next year or two), but that’s okay. Lin needs some time to marinate in the NCAA the same way Pohlkamp did, but we expect that like Pohlkamp, his development will be worth the wait.
Highlights
Lin is very good at distributing the puck and creating opportunities for his forwards. When he has room and speed, he’s dangerous, as witnessed in this highlight reel offered up by the NHL.
Here's a little taste of what Ryan Lin brings to the table 🤩 #NHLDraft
— NHL (@NHL) November 18, 2025
(🎥: @WHLGiants & @TheWHL) https://t.co/IktvV7C5vI pic.twitter.com/InHkBJQBZ9
And then, if you’d like an idea of what Lin does well and what he needs to work on, take a look at this scouting report put together by the NHL Draft Pros.
2026 Top 25 Under 25 countdown … so far
11. Luca Cagnoni
12. Joshua Ravensbergen
13. Eric Pohlkamp
14. Quentin Musty
15. Filip Bystedt
16. Zack Ostapchuk
17. Leo Sahlin Wallenius
18. Cam Lund
19. Ethan Cardwell
20. Nolan Allan
21. Haoxi Wang
22. Cole McKinney
23. Carson Wetsch
24. Mattias Havelid
25. Christian Kirsch
Honorable Mentions: Joey Muldowney, Teddy Mutryn, Andre Gasseau, Brady Knowling and Alexander Karmanov
Editor’s Note: More than 100 people voted in our fan poll this year, though admittedly, not everyone filled out the entire form, i.e., all 25 spots and the honorable mentions. In some cases, some people filled out their top ten and left the rest blank. While it makes the math a bit harder, we found the fairest (and easiest) thing to do was average the scores based on the total responses received. While blank scores counted as zero, it didn’t seem to skew the results too badly. Ultimately, this isn’t an exact science, but I think you’ll find it’s a pretty good list.
