The San Jose Sharks used the 201st pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Alexander Karmanov, and the selection instantly made history. At 7-foot-1 and 280 pounds, he became the tallest prospect ever drafted in NHL history.
The pick landed because Karmanov is impossible to miss before he even touches the puck. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 214th among North American skaters, yet the Sharks still called his name at 201st overall, a clear sign they were betting on size, reach and a frame unlike anything the league has seen at the draft table.
Karmanov was born in Chisinau, Moldova, and is the first player born there to be drafted into the NHL. He started the 2025-26 season with the Brantford Titans in the Greater Ontario Hockey League, then moved to the North Bay Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League, giving the Sharks a view of how he handled a step up in pace and competition before the draft.
That production was modest, and it helps explain why major rankings did not place him among the players expected to hear their names called. Ellis said there has never been a bigger player to skate at a high level, but also noted that Karmanov would not get drafted on pure hockey talent alone. The same scouting logic that pushed him down boards still may define his path from here: a team can draft the frame, but it still has to turn that into an NHL defenseman.
The next step is already set. Karmanov is scheduled to return to the North Bay Battalion for the 2026-27 season before moving on to Penn State University for the 2027-28 season. The Sharks have taken a rare swing on a record-setting body, and the real test now is whether that reach can become a player.
