Hockey has been tough to watch in San Jose this season. Not just the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, but their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, haven’t been great either. But Monday’s news made their final games much more interesting.
Top Prospect Joins the Barracuda
On Monday morning, the San Jose Sharks announced that they had assigned forward Filip Bystedt to the Barracuda. The 20-year-old first-round pick has yet to make his North American debut after being selected in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s impressed in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and had a strong performance at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship for his country.
When the Swedish center signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks last summer, many expected him to make the jump across the Atlantic to start the 2023-24 season. Instead, he was loaned back to Linkoping in the SHL for one more season. Now that their season has ended, general manager Mike Grier thought it would be a perfect time for him to get acclimated to the North American game.
Many Sharks fans would have preferred to see him join the NHL club to add some extra incentive to attend the games as the season draws to a close. Grier made the right call though, as the NHL is the wrong place to develop prospects even on one of the worst teams. Considering Bystedt has to adapt to a smaller ice surface and a more physical brand of hockey, it would be a rude awakening to play against the best players in the world immediately. The AHL will give him time to learn and make a case for an NHL roster spot next season while preventing him from hurting his confidence or stunting his development.
Other Sharks Prospects Who Could Follow
There’s always the possibility that other prospects will follow in Bystedt’s steps and make their North American professional debut before the AHL season ends. Recently acquired David Edstrom is finishing up his season with Frolunda HC in the SHL, and depending on how their playoff run goes, he could be available to make the jump fairly soon. However, as of this writing, his team is heading to Game 7 against Leksands IF.
If Frolunda is eliminated, Edstrom should make the jump. If his team moves on, however, the playoffs could run into May, and of course, both the Sharks and Barracuda’s seasons will be over at that point. There’s a possibility he will come over, but it will depend on Frolunda’s performance moving forward.
Also, Will Smith will have to sign his entry-level contract before he can be assigned to either the NHL or AHL. In theory, it’s a simple process, but his team is moving on to the Frozen Four, which means they’ll be playing through the middle of April. By the time his season ends with Boston College, the Sharks’ season will also be ending, so it would be impossible to get him professional ice time this season. While it would’ve been a fun story to end the season, we’ll have to wait until at least October to see Smith in teal.
Related: 3 Sharks Who Would Benefit From a Strong End to the Season
The Barracuda, like their parent club, are not in the playoffs this season. While it would be easy to check out and not put much stock in the final games, adding Bystedt to the roster should make these games more meaningful. I wouldn’t expect him to dominate the league in his short stint to end the season, but hopefully, he can help the team find some success moving forward.