Ryan Lin

August 2026 – After being selected 21st overall by the San Jose Sharks, Lin attended the organization’s development camp before earning an invitation to Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster. He is expected to play at the University of Denver this season, where he’ll continue developing one of the most dynamic offensive skill sets among defensemen from the 2026 draft class. 

“Ryan Lin may possess some of the best raw tools in the entire draft class. His skating is explosive, his puck skills are dynamic, and he has the ability to generate offense as both a shooter and a playmaker. He can create advantages in transition, attack space off the rush, and make difficult plays at speed.” per Victor Nuno’s The Journey on June 13. 

Lin’s skating and puck-moving ability already stand out, and another year of physical development could help him take another step toward becoming a top-pair NHL defenseman. Jayd Serdy

July 2026 – San Jose traded up to grab Lin 21st overall, a clear bet on right-shot offensive defense in a system that needs it. Lin is coming off a strong draft season with the Vancouver Giants, posting 14 goals and 43 assists in 53 games after managing just five goals the year prior. That jump in finish matters, because the rest of the toolkit was already there. He retrieves pucks cleanly under pressure, uses deception to slip the first forechecker, and quarterbacks the power play with poise. His skating drives controlled exits and lets him activate into the rush without losing his post.

The questions are the ones that have followed him, average footspeed and a 5-11 frame, which nudge the projection toward a mobile second-pair power-play piece rather than a true number-one. For fantasy purposes, Lin is an assist-and-power-play profile whose value climbs if the shooting gain from this season sticks. He returns to Vancouver for 2026-27, where the power-play reins and the goal total are the numbers worth watching. In deep dynasty formats he is a defensible hold as a right-shot puck mover. Andrew Epps

June 2026 – The Sharks traded up in the draft and selected Lin at 21st overall as the team clearly wants to make sure they are deep on defense. Lin has the opportunity to be the top offensive weapon in San Jose. Pat Quinn

October 2025 – Lin continues to prove why he’s one of the most dynamic puck-movers in major junior hockey. Despite being undersized for a traditional NHL defenseman, the right-shot rearguard controls the tempo of play with elite skating and composure. Lin’s offensive instincts are elite. He routinely jumps into the rush, drives controlled exits, and quarterbacks the power play with confidence.

After posting 53 points in 60 games last season, Lin has started 2025-26 on a tear with 10 points in six games, pacing all Giants defensemen. His transition game is polished; he retrieves pucks cleanly, uses deception to evade pressure, and consistently turns defense into offense. Defensively, he’s grown more assertive, leveraging stick detail and footwork to close gaps and kill plays early. Lin projects as a modern two-way defenseman capable of driving results in all three zones, an offensive catalyst with improving defensive maturity. Owen Hilsinger

August 2025 – Even with such a loaded D corps, Lin was clearly Canada’s standout blueliner at the Hlinka, leading the group with 2 goals and 6 points in 5 games. Despite being overshadowed by the likes of Keaton Verhoeff and Landon DuPont, Lin is also coming off a fantastic DY-1 and was named to the WHL’s All-Rookie team.

Stylistically, Lin is everything you want out of a defender. He’s mature and poised on both sides of the puck while also showing the necessary skill to push the envelope when need be. He gaps up early in the rush, stays with his checks, and is physically engaged. The only question for Lin, as a smallish defenceman with average footspeed, is what heights he’ll be able to reach.–Luke Sweeney