2 reasons the Sharks are lined up to trade No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

The San Jose Sharks have the chance to do something that hasn't been done in a couple of decades.

If they trade their No. 2 overall pick in this week's 2026 NHL Draft, it would be something that hockey hasn't seen in a while.

"It’s been more than 20 years since an NHL team knowingly traded a top-three draft selection," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote in a new article this week. "So, with that important caveat in mind, it’s critical to emphasize that it’s going to take a massive offer to entice Sharks general manager Mike Grier to move this pick."

There are two reasons, though, that it's being viewed as a legitimate possibility.

The first is that the Sharks have been picking high. It might be time for them to turn a pick into a veteran to help them contend now, versus continuing to just get future assets.

"After making top-four selections each of the past three seasons and building a team on the rise, he’s willing to listen," Johnston wrote of the GM Grier.

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There's also the matter of a slightly uncertain draft board around the league, particularly if the Maple Leafs do as expected and take Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick.

"Given the lack of consensus among scouts about how the top of this draft class will unfold, it’s possible the Sharks get an offer that will be difficult to refuse," Johnston writes.

The Sharks have to feel good about Macklin Celebrini leading them into the future. The main question they have to answer is how to build the best roster around Celebrini for right now and for years to come.

This year's second pick will be a key part of that answer, one way or another.

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• Frederik Andersen heading toward an unceremonious exit
• Cale Makar is about to become a lot more expensive
• Sabres have reached the Alex Tuch pivot point
• Sidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the Penguins