After a busy day on Friday during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the San Jose Sharks had a long wait before they made their first pick on Saturday. When they finally were put on the clock with the 127th overall pick, they selected goaltender Brady Knowling out of the United States National Team Development Program.

Last season, Knowling spent the majority of his time with the U.S. U18 National Team. In 33 games, he registered a 3.56 goals against average and an .880 save percentage.  

Knowling will play for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League this coming season, before jumping to the NCAA for the 2027-28 season, as he's already committed to Boston University. 

Despite being born in Toronto, Canada, Knowling represents the United States on an international level and is considered a favorite to represent his country at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Sharks already have a number of highly touted goaltending prospects including Joshua Ravensbergen and Christian Kirsch, but adding another prospect to the mix is never a bad idea, especially since goaltenders are very difficult to predict in the long run. 

Knowling was ranked as the top North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.