NHL Draft Highlights

This year’s NHL Draft was quite the show. There were several standout stories, like Gavin McKenna joining the Maple Leafs, Caleb Malhotra being picked by the Vancouver Canucks—his former team—and Ottawa selecting Jackson Cover as the 32nd overall pick. Interestingly, Cover hails from the Cayman Islands and has been playing ice hockey with an inline puck for just five years.

Then there’s Alexander Kalmanov from Moldova, who made history as the tallest player drafted in the NHL at 7 feet 1 inch. That’s a good three inches taller than the legendary Zdeno Chara, making him, well, a real giant.

Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Faces Early Challenges

Kalmanov had a notable season with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion before the San Jose Sharks picked him in the seventh round. Looking ahead, he’s set to join one of the promising programs in college hockey at Penn State in 2027.

Still, there are questions swirling around his readiness for the NHL, and we got a glimpse of what that might look like during the Sharks’ development camp.

One major concern about players like Kalmanov—who stands out not just for his height but also for his skating—has been the effectiveness of their skating skills. Of course, skating is crucial in hockey, but you have to factor in that drafting someone as tall as him means you might not get that lightning speed, like what you’d see from Connor McDavid.

Some videos of Kalmanov practicing have gone viral. But let’s talk about his performance in the Sharks’ prospect game—while his skating might not appear the fastest or most refined, it was effective. I mean, I was surprised to see him start off walking briskly up the ice, but once he got moving, he really found his pace.

How would an NHL player of average size match up against him? With his incredible reach, if he protects the puck well, it could be nearly impossible for others to take it from him.

During training camp, Kalmanov’s size made quite the impression on everyone. I think if he channels his strengths effectively, he has good potential for the NHL. Now, I get that this is just a prospect game and his style might not hold up against seasoned NHL players, but he’s still a few years away from making that jump.

Kalmanov will likely remain a challenge for teams in the OHL and wherever he ends up playing as he transitions to Penn State in 2027.