The 2026 NHL Draft is barely behind us, but it's already time to start looking toward the future. While the San Jose Sharks are hoping to be out of the lottery next summer, as they've made their desires to make the playoffs very clear, there is one player who could create a feel-good story if he is available whenever the Sharks are on the clock next year. Milan Sundström is among the top-rated prospects for next year's draft class. His father, Niklas Sundström, is someone that long-time Sharks fans are likely to remember. While he's currently a European scout for the team, he also played for the team in teal over two decades ago. The elder Sundström joined the Sharks ahead of the 1999-00 season and spent parts of four seasons in the Bay Area before moving to the Montreal Canadiens. He then rejoined the Sharks organization shortly after his playing career came to a close, as he was hired as a scout for the 2014-15 season. Milan Sundström, 17, is expected to continue playing with MoDo Hockey's U18 and U20 teams this coming season over in Sweden. Last season, he scored 32 points (eight goals and 24 assists) in 16 games at the U18 Region level. He then had five points in three games in the U18 Nationell, and 20 points in 12 games in the U20 Nationell. "Sundström is a smart center with good size," Elite Prospects' Jimmy Hamrin wrote in a recent scouting report [https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/1010942/milan-sundstrom/scouting-report#report-112164]. "He is a good playmaker and showed good break out passes from his own end as well as many well-timed offensive zone passes that led to scoring chances. He isn't an explosive player and his first strides look a bit weird but he still gets up to good top speed and shows the ability to carry the puck over long distances. He often took the responsibilty to carry the play in transition. He can challenge defenders with good crossover technique." As things currently stand, it seems that Sundström will likely come off the board in the middle of the first round, but things can certainly change before next summer rolls around.
