Join Paul and Aaron for Episode 290 of The Fin Factor as we welcome a very special guest to the studio: JD Young, host of Locked on Sharks and creator of The Reef.

Now that the San Jose Sharks have officially locked down the second overall pick in back-to-back draft lotteries, the big question is: what should Mike Grier do with it? We sit down with JD to analyze the top options on the board, debating whether the Sharks should pick dynamic Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, stand pat on a game-changing defenseman like Chase Reed, or test the market for a block-buster trade down the line. JD breaks down his film study on Chase Reed, mapping out a potential Norris-caliber ceiling and explaining why finding a top-pairing blue-liner is significantly harder than plugging a winger into your top six.

We also take a look at the landscape of the upcoming offseason, analyzing trade targets like Bowen Byram, Jordan Spence, and Michael Kesselring alongside the high-risk reality of checking out Darren Radish in free agency. Plus, we look ahead to the future contract extension for El Capitan himself, Macklin Celebrini, tracking his unbelievable world stage performance at the Olympics and debating if a massive contract extension is right around the corner.

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The Fin Factor is a weekly podcast discussing the San Jose Sharks NHL hockey team. Our episodes are hosted by Paul Sunseri and Aaron Sholl, two avid Sharks fans. Support our show by shopping for merchandise and join the email list on our website: https://www.thefinfactor.com

Like, subscribe, and sign up for alerts to new episodes!

The opinions expressed in this web series are those of hosts and/or guests alone. Any reference to copyrighted materials is for the purpose of commentary and criticism only. The Fin Factor is not affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, National Hockey League, or its subsidiaries.

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TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Fin-Factor-p1141578/

Hosts: Paul Sunseri, Aaron Sholl

Executive Producer: Jason Sholl

Director: Jason Sholl

VFX Opener: Alan2014/Videohive

GFX Effects: EasyEdit/Videohive

Set Construction: Todd Sholl

Music Theme: Kristian Habenicht

Production Services: Sholl Media Group LLC http://www.shollmediagroup.com/

Join Paul and Aaron for Episode 289 of The Fin Factor as we lay out the ultimate offseason blueprint for the San Jose Sharks defensive core. Mike Grier has made his criteria clear: he is hunting for defensemen who can defend the rush, retrieve pucks, and execute a clean first pass out of the zone. We take your fan-submitted trade proposals and free-agent targets to find out exactly who fits that mold.

In this episode, we break down the analytics on a long list of potential blue line targets, including Simon Nemec, Dougie Hamilton, Bowen Byram, Braden Schneider, Rasmus Andersson, and Darren Raddysh. We also debate how drafting Ivar Stenberg at number two would impact the current logjam of established forwards, and if it opens the door to using William Eklund as a major trade chip. Finally, Aaron reveals his two ideal offseason scenarios for the defensive pairings, weaponizing our cap space and the Oilers' 20th overall pick to build a well-rounded roster.

Not a channel member yet? Join the Fin Factor family for just $2.99/month to get access to giveaways, early episode releases, and more!

👉 Join here: https://www.youtube.com/thefinfactor/join

The Fin Factor is a weekly podcast discussing the San Jose Sharks NHL hockey team. Our episodes are hosted by Paul Sunseri and Aaron Sholl, two avid Sharks fans. Support our show by shopping for merchandise and join the email list on our website: https://www.thefinfactor.com

Like, subscribe, and sign up for alerts to new episodes!

The opinions expressed in this web series are those of hosts and/or guests alone. Any reference to copyrighted materials is for the purpose of commentary and criticism only. The Fin Factor is not affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, National Hockey League, or its subsidiaries.

X: https://www.twitter.com/TheFinFactor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFinFactor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FinFactor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thefinfactor.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thefinfactor

Sharks Reddit Discord: https://discord.gg/NYpV4P2

Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fin-factor/id1411840950

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefinfactor

TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Fin-Factor-p1141578/

Hosts: Paul Sunseri, Aaron Sholl

Executive Producer: Jason Sholl

Director: Jason Sholl

VFX Opener: Alan2014/Videohive

GFX Effects: EasyEdit/Videohive

Set Construction: Todd Sholl

Music Theme: Kristian Habenicht

Production Services: Sholl Media Group LLC http://www.shollmediagroup.com/

We’re going live for our reaction to the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery where the San Jose Sharks won the second overall pick. Last year, the Sharks landed Michael Misa at #2 and the year before that was Macklin Celebrini at #1; who will be added alongside them for the franchise’s fourth 2nd overall pick? Join Paul and Aaron for reactions, live chat, and full-on fan energy as we talk all things Sharks!

Not a channel member yet? Join the Fin Factor family for just $2.99/month to get access to giveaways, early episode releases, and more!

👉 Join here: https://www.youtube.com/thefinfactor/join

The Fin Factor is a weekly podcast discussing the San Jose Sharks NHL hockey team. Our episodes are hosted by Paul Sunseri and Aaron Sholl, two avid Sharks fans. Support our show by shopping for merchandise and join the email list on our website: https://www.thefinfactor.com

Like, subscribe, and sign up for alerts to new episodes!

The opinions expressed in this web series are those of hosts and/or guests alone. Any reference to copyrighted materials is for the purpose of commentary and criticism only. The Fin Factor is not affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, National Hockey League, or its subsidiaries.

X: https://www.twitter.com/TheFinFactor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFinFactor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FinFactor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thefinfactor.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thefinfactor

Sharks Reddit Discord: https://discord.gg/NYpV4P2

Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fin-factor/id1411840950

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefinfactor

TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Fin-Factor-p1141578/

Hosts: Paul Sunseri, Aaron Sholl

Executive Producer: Jason Sholl

Director: Jason Sholl

VFX Opener: Alan2014/Videohive

GFX Effects: EasyEdit/Videohive

Set Construction: Todd Sholl

Music Theme: Kristian Habenicht

Production Services: Sholl Media Group LLC http://www.shollmediagroup.com/