First look at Sharks' 7-foot-1 Alexander Karmanov shows how absurdly tall he is

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Calling the San Jose Sharks' new draft pick Alexander Karmanov "tall" doesn't feel like it does him justice.

Karmanov is 7-foot-1. That makes plenty of tall people look quite short.

The Sharks drafted Karmanov late in the 2026 NHL Draft, and there's no guarantee he ever makes it to the league.

If he does, he'll be easily the tallest player in NHL history.

“There has literally never been a bigger player to play high-level ice hockey," Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis writes. "Listed as 7-foot-1 and 280 pounds by NHL Central Scouting, Karmanov is an absolute beast of a human being. Born in Chisinau, Moldova, Karmanov hopes to become the first countryman to be selected to the NHL and, hopefully, the first to play as well. Karmanov showed some promise in the GOJHL with the Brantford Titans, scoring three goals and totaling seven points, along with 68 penalty minutes, in 15 games. He got outmatched a bit more frequently with North Bay in the OHL, but it was hilarious watching smaller players go up to him and completely freak out. He also showed a lot more promise with the puck near the end of the season, too."

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Karmanov is committed to Penn State, and he'll likely need a lot of development still.

But this week, the Sharks are hosting their development camp, and Karmanov is there.

A first look at him skating shows both how much room he has to grow, but also how unique he is:

Alexander Karmanov who is 7’1 is on the ice. He’s towering over the other skaters.

He is set to play at Penn State in 2027 but would become the tallest player to ever debut in the NHL if he were to make it. pic.twitter.com/aGoUHRizUR

— Matt Lively (@mattblively) July 2, 2026

It's usually a basketball phrase, but it applies here: "You can't teach height."

The Sharks, and the other teams that work with Karmanov along the way, will just have to help him learn everything else.