Sharks stay put in lottery, receive No. 11 pick in NHL draft

Share

The Sharks stayed put in the 2022 NHL Lottery on Tuesday, as they secured the No. 11 pick in this year’s NHL draft. 

The only other time in Sharks history that they picked No. 11 was in 1994, when they drafted Jeff Friesen at that spot.

The Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes earned the top three picks, respectively.

After a disappointing 2021-22 season where they finished with 77 points (32-37 record) and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the Sharks were slotted 11th heading into the lottery. This gave them only a three percent chance of nabbing the No. 1 overall pick and a 3.3 percent chance of ​securing the No. 2 pick. 

The overwhelming odds (79.9 percent) were that they would stand pat at No. 11, so it is no surprise that this is exactly what happened.

Eighteen-year-old center Shane Wright is widely considered the top prospect in this year’s class, and is the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Canadiens. The Sharks could go in a number of different directions at No.11, which likely will be one of the top priorities for whoever they hire as their new general manager. 

RELATED: Marleau calls it a career, retires after 23 NHL seasons

In the last seven years, San Jose has drafted inside the top 11 twice, selecting center William Eklund at No. 7 last season and winger Timo Meier No. 9 in 2015.

The 2022 NHL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 7.

Contact Us