Alexander Karmanov’s first Sharks camp is wrapping up, but the 18-year-old defenseman made sure San Jose noticed him before he heads back to the OHL.
The towering 7-foot-1, 275-pound blue-liner confirmed Sunday that he is returning Monday to Southern Ontario to rejoin the North Bay Battalion. The Sharks are also expected to keep trimming their training camp roster before Tuesday’s preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
For a short stay, Karmanov turned into a favorite around camp. That was clear even off the ice, when a Sharks fan stopped him in downtown San Jose this weekend and asked for a photo on the spot.
“I was with the boys and the boys told me we needed to get off the street,” Karmanov said Sunday. “It’s great. Everyone, the fans were great, and it’s really nice to have met them.”
Drafted by San Jose in June in the seventh round, 201st overall, Karmanov became the tallest player ever selected in the NHL. He also drew plenty of attention at the Rookie Faceoff at Tech CU Arena earlier this month, especially after his one-sided fight with Los Angeles Kings forward Liam Lefebvre, who is 6-foot-3, set social media buzzing and earned the loudest cheer of the night.
On the ice, the raw edges were there, but so was the upside. Karmanov had some rough moments, yet he also made friends, earned respect and flashed the unusual reach and wingspan that make him such an intriguing project.
That length showed up during Sunday’s practice, when he stripped the puck from Will Smith on a couple of rushes. Michael Misa, though, also beat him cleanly for a shot after weaving around him on another sequence.
Karmanov said the biggest takeaway from camp was simple: keep grinding.
“Just keep working,” he said, describing the message the Sharks’ coaching staff gave him. “I have, like, some details from the coaches, from the development coaches, and just keep doing what they tell me to do.”
Sharks assistant coach Brian Wiseman had praise for the teenager’s attitude and presence.
“Extremely likable,” Wiseman said of Karmanov. “Speaking to him and when (fellow assistant Doug Houda) is coaching him, or when he was at the rookie camp, that’s all we’ve heard about is how attentive he is, how likable he is, how coachable he is.
“Those are great attributes to have, and coming into first NHL camp, always smiling. He’s got a smile on his face, up and down the hallways, in the locker room, on the ice.”
New Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse got to know Karmanov this offseason while the two, along with several NHL players, trained at Gary Roberts’s facility in Toronto. Nurse said the progress from summer to camp has been obvious.
“You can just see the growth from the beginning of the summer to the end,” Nurse said. “You see the size, but he’s got skill.
He’s got a little nastiness to him, too. He’s going to be fun to watch as he continues to grow, and that’s just pretty cool.”
Karmanov said Nurse’s game stood out to him as well.
“Very big guy, too,” Karmanov said. “I like how he plays defensively, very aggressively, and has a very good stick and first pass.
I think it’s what I have to have. Just a great player.”
After he goes back to North Bay, Karmanov will continue working with Todd Marchant, the Sharks’ director of player development, and San Jose development coach Luca Sbisa, a 13-year NHL defenseman.
He is currently committed to Penn State for the 2027-28 season, though that path could still change over the next year.
“It should be a good year for me, for the team,” Karmanov said. “I’ll have more opportunity, we’ll keep working, and we’ll see how it goes.”