Giants Defenceman Ryan Lin Selected 21st Overall by San Jose Sharks
Buffalo, NY – The Vancouver Giants are thrilled to announce that 18-year-old defenceman Ryan Lin (Richmond, B.C.) has been selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
“For me this day is about [my family],” Lin said to Ailish Forfar live on the Sportsnet broadcast after getting drafted. “They’ve done everything to help get me here. I couldn’t thank them enough. What a dream this is.”
The Sharks traded up from pick 27 to 21 in order to select Lin.
“Just to know they traded up and really wanted me – that feels good for sure,” Lin added.
Only four other Giants have been selected with a higher pick in franchise history: Samuel Honzek was selected 16th overall (2023 – Calgary), Bowen Byram (2019 – Colorado) and Evander Kane (2009 – Atlanta) were both selected fourth overall, and Gilbert Brule (2005 – Columbus) was selected sixth overall.
Suited up in teal. pic.twitter.com/FMXURMZjZr
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 27, 2026
During the 2025-26 Western Hockey League season, Lin led the Giants in scoring with 57 points in 53 games, on 14 goals and 43 assists. The 5-foot-11 defenceman ranked 4th amongst all WHL skaters in average ice-time per game (25:58). His 1.08 points-per-game were the third-highest by a Giants defenceman in franchise history, trailing only Jonathon Blum (1.29 in 2008-09) and Mazden Leslie (1.09 in 2024-25).
“On behalf of the Vancouver Giants, we’d like to congratulate Ryan and his family on his selection by San Jose in the NHL Draft,” Giants Assistant Coach Wacey Rabbit said. “Ryan played an important role on our team over the past two seasons, bringing reliability, competitiveness and leadership to our defence corps. We’re proud of everything he has accomplished and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.”
The moment Ryan Lin became a member of the @SanJoseSharks. 🦈@WHLGiants | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/rdSHsLRHyw
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 27, 2026
Lin was originally selected by the Giants with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Internationally, Lin has represented Canada five times already, most recently at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship, where he won a Bronze medal. Lin also won Bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Gold at the 2025 U-18 Men’s Worlds, Gold at the 2024 U17 World Challenge (Canada White) and played for Canada at the 2023 Youth Olympic Games.
Round two of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft begins tomorrow (Saturday) morning from Buffalo at 8 a.m. PT. You can follow along here.
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAY:
“Lin does almost everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age. He steers play with his quiet efficiency, feel for the game, puck-moving, A-level hockey IQ, good skating…a great stick offensively and defensively, and head-on-a-swivel defensive play and reads…he’s just an excellent all-around modern defenseman who gets it, and I think there’s some Josh Morrissey/Jared Spurgeon in him. I think he’s a phenomenal player who plays the game the way it’s meant to be played.” – Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)
“Lin is a transitional defenceman and power play quarterback. He added more of a “shooting” approach to his game offensively this season, producing 14G-43A in the process.” – Jason Bukala (Sportsnet)
“Defensively, Lin already looks like an NHL defender. Combining high-end mobility, stick work, and physicality, he makes the tricky stops look routine. He defends the middle with intent, using every defensive skill possible to push opponents to the perimeter, where he then darts into a physical breakup…Skating back for loose pucks, Lin shoulderchecks, initiates contact, and then makes a quick escape, but not after drawing pressure first. With clever short-range plays, he gets pucks through the forecheck and then jumps into the rush…Though he’s a couple inches short of average NHL height for defencemen, Lin is about as easy a projection as there is. He’s likely to become a top-four, two-way defenceman who plays both special teams.” – Elite Prospects Draft Guide
NOTES:
- Lin becomes just the seventh Giants player ever to be drafted in the first round. The others are: Samuel Honzek (2023 – Calgary, 16th overall); Bowen Byram (2019 – Colorado, 4th overall); Evander Kane (2009 – Atlanta, 4th overall); Jonathon Blum (2007 – Nashville, 23rd overall); Gilbert Brule (2005 – Columbus, 6th overall); Mark Fistric (2004 – Dallas, 28th overall).
- Lin is the 41st Giants player to ever be drafted to the NHL.
- Lin becomes the third Vancouver Giant ever to be selected by the San Jose Sharks, after Colton Roberts (2024) and Tyson Sexsmith (2007)
- The Vancouver Giants have had at least one player selected in the NHL Draft in 21 of their 25 years of existence
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