Alexander Karmanov went 201st overall to the San Jose Sharks in the 2026 NHL Draft, and the pick made him the tallest player ever drafted in NHL history. The 7-foot-1 defenseman was not projected to go drafted in major rankings, which turns San Jose's selection into one of the draft's strangest size bets.
San Jose Sharks and Alexander Karmanov
Karmanov is listed at 7-foot-1 and 280 pounds by NHL Central Scouting. That frame separated him from the rest of the board before the pick, and it also placed him outside the usual range for a player whose draft value would normally be judged first by skating and puck movement.
He was ranked 214th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Even with that number, the Sharks still used the 201st selection on him, making the decision less about where he sat on the list and more about what his body type could become with time.
Moldova and North Bay Battalion
Karmanov was born in Chisinau, Moldova, and became the first player born in Moldova to be drafted into the NHL. He is also eligible to represent Russia at the international level, which gives the pick a wider international edge than a standard late-round selection.
His route to the draft moved through the 2025-26 season, when he started with the Brantford Titans in the Greater Ontario Hockey League and later joined the North Bay Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League. He finished that stretch with three goals and four assists for seven points in 15 games with the Brantford Titans, then added two assists in 20 games with the North Bay Battalion.
Penn State University and the next steps
Karmanov did not play in the playoffs after the North Bay Battalion were swept by the Brantford Bulldogs in the first round. He is set to play with the North Bay Battalion in the 2026-27 season before moving to Penn State University for the 2027-28 season.
Ellis put the size issue bluntly: “There has literally never been a bigger player to play high-level ice hockey.” The same scouting logic runs through the rest of the evaluation. “Karmanov won’t get drafted this year based on pure hockey talent alone,” Ellis said. “But an NHL team will absolutely select him on his size and look to mold that into something tangible.”
That is the trade San Jose made with the 201st pick. The Sharks took the biggest player in the draft's history and added a defenseman whose value now rests on whether his size can translate into a pro game over the next two seasons, first with North Bay Battalion and then at Penn State University.
