- 7-foot-1 Alexander Karmanov, the tallest player ever drafted, is at Sharks development camp
- The seventh-round pick turned heads just by standing next to teammates and reporters
- Read below for what Karmanov said about his physical game and the players he studies
Alexander Karmanov did not have to do much to get noticed at San Jose Sharks development camp this week. He just had to stand up.
The 18-year-old defenseman is 7-foot-1, which makes him the tallest player ever drafted in NHL history. San Jose took him 201st overall in the seventh round of the 2026 Draft, and camp at Sharks Ice was the first real look at what the Sharks are working with.
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now put the size in perspective next to a 5-foot-4 reporter:
Karmanov is still raw. His skating needs plenty of work, and he knows it. He already found ways to be a problem in drills, though. On one 3-on-2, he backpedaled, clogged the lane, and knocked the puck down without doing much more than parking his frame in the way.
Barracuda head coach John McCarthy likes what he has seen from the project so far.
“He’s a coachable kid, he takes feedback well.”
Teammate Keaton Verhoeff had a shorter scouting report on what it takes to beat him in small-area drills:
Karmanov talked about how he fell for the game as a little kid back home.
“Just in childhood, I was a kid, when I was five, and I saw people playing in the lake. It’s how fast it is. A lot of emotions. I don’t think any sport other than hockey can have real emotions on the ice.”
Watch his full sit-down with San Jose Hockey Now:
He also named the defensemen he studies, and they all share a certain build.
“Of course, I watch Chara. Now I’m watching Zadorov, Chris Pronger. Those are the guys like my game. All those guys, they play hard and physical, and also sometimes can make plays.”
Karmanov has crossed paths with a few giants already. He met Zdeno Chara when he was eight. He chatted with Brent Burns last year. This week, he ran into Joe Thornton at the rink.
The physical game is where he thinks he can carve out a spot, even if referees made him pay for it in junior.
“When I was playing at 16, it was really hard. All my hits would get called right away, like it’s a head check. My first four games, it was a two-game suspension. In the OHL I can use more. Especially in the NHL, this camp, I can play as hard as I can, so I can show my physical game.”
Karmanov, who was born in Moldova and holds Russian citizenship, heads back to the North Bay Battalion of the OHL this fall. San Jose is not in a hurry, and with a 7-foot-1 defenseman on the books, the Sharks can afford to let this one grow into himself.
