The San Jose Sharks now know where the team will pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. In a twist from the norm, the NHL aired the pick live so that the viewing audience would know at the same time as the NHL. The audience watched as those ping pong balls bounced around. The Sharks looked good to win the first overall pick through two ping pong balls, but faltered with the third. When the fourth ball popped to the top, it was the New York Islanders that won the pick, jumping all the way from tenth place to first.
That left the Sharks waiting to see what would happen in the second drawing of the day. While San Jose had the best odds of having its number picked at the end of three balls, the team lost again, sort of. The Utah Hockey Club won the second draw. However, the new lottery rules put into place a few years ago came to the Sharks’ rescue. Because teams can only jump ten spots at most, the highest Utah could jump was to fourth overall, leaving the second pick to San Jose.
How many times have the Sharks picked second overall?
The San Jose Sharks have picked second overall three times in the team’s history. The first time was in the inaugural season, when the team selected Pat Falloon, who spent five seasons with the Sharks.
The second time didn’t go as well. In 1996, the Sharks selected Andrei Zyuzin as the second overall pick. The defenseman played two seasons with San Jose, totaling 81 games. His biggest goal for the Sharks came in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 1998, when he scored in overtime to help the Sharks beat the Dallas Stars 1-0. While the Sharks ultimately lost the series, Zyuzin gave the Sharks the team’s first win of the series.
And finally, there was 1997. While it’s been 28 years since the Sharks had a second overall pick, the last one was the best. The Sharks selected Patrick Marleau with pick number two in the draft, a young 18-year-old who would later have his number 12 hung in the rafters at SAP Center.
Who could San Jose pick with the second overall pick?
Fans can only hope that San Jose has success like that again and it might be possible given the crop of talent at the top of this draft.
There is a general consensus that defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the best pick. But the Sharks likely won’t have a shot at him. While there were a couple of scenarios where Schaefer might have slipped to San Jose at number two, say if the Chicago Blackhawks won the first overall, it’s not likely to happen with the Islanders. NYI has a lot young options down the middle, and so defense might be the Isles’ biggest need. As a result, the Islanders are likely to pick Schaefer.
That leaves two centers as the most likely picks at number two. Michael Misa might be the consensus number two overall pick. Misa was a forward with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL this season and showed great chemistry with San Jose’s second-round pick last season, Igor Chernyshov. Misa scored 134 points (62 G, 72 A) in 65 games this season. He’s also been playing in the OHL for the last three seasons, after receiving exceptional status at 15, allowing him to join the league early.
Misa is the favorite for the Sharks’ pick.
Other options include right-wing Porter Martone or center James Hagens. Hagens tried the same route Macklin Celebrini took, entering college at 17 to play a season in the NCAA. During his freshman year, Hagens scored 37 points (11 G, 26 A) in 37 games with Boston College. General Manager Mike Grier likes Boston players, so that could give Hagens an edge.
Could the Sharks trade the second overall pick?
There is a potential second option. The Sharks don’t use the pick and instead trade it away. Grier would not commit one way or the other, but he says he’ll listen to offers if they come along.
“I definitely have an open mind to it. I always have to be open to anything that we think can make us a better hockey team and a better organization,” said Grier. “If there’s a package out there that someone presents us with, we’ll have to think it through and see if it makes sense for us to do. I’m always trying to be open-minded to things like that.”
As for what he would look for in return, Grier wants players who can fit and grow with the Sharks’ young players.
2025 NHL Entry Draft order
So, here is the official draft order before any potential trades.
- New York Islanders
- San Jose Sharks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Utah Hockey Club (Mammoths?)
- Nashville Predators
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Boston Bruins
- Seattle Kraken
- Buffalo Sabres
- Anaheim Ducks
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- New York Rangers
- Detroit Red Wings
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Vancouver Canucks
- Montreal Canadiens
The NHL Entry Draft is Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 in Los Angeles.
