Bystedt Won’t Start Season in San Jose, Sharks Loan Prospect to Linköping

Wait ‘til next year?

Even though the San Jose Sharks signed 2022 first-round pick Filip Bystedt to an entry-level contract this off-season, they’ve decided to loan him back to his SHL club Linkoping for the duration of the year.

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier confirmed the news, first reported by CapFriendly, to the Mercury News.

Bystedt’s three-year contract will “slide” i.e. begin next season because he’s not likely to play the requisite amount of NHL games this year to start the clock on it.

The SHL regular season ends on Mar. 12, while the playoffs go into late April. So depending on Bystedt’s health and Linkoping’s post-season status, the 19-year-old, who will be 20 on Feb. 4, could still make his North American professional debut this season, be it with the San Jose Sharks or San Jose Barracuda.

Bystedt was the 26th pick of the 2022 Draft and took a big leap forward during the 2022-23 campaign, starring for Sweden at the World Junior Championships and ascending to a middle-six center role for Linkoping’s men’s side. He was awarded the SHL’s Rookie of the Year.

“Stock is up. Prototypical NHL size and skating, showed a skilled offensive game too. Can really shoot it,” an NHL scout from outside the San Jose Sharks organization said after the WJCs. “Top-six with power play upside.”

The 6-foot-4 pivot also earned praise during the recent World Junior Summer Showcase.

But it looks like another year overseas for Bystedt, though he’s already mentally preparing himself for the jump across the pond.

At San Jose Sharks development camp in July, Bystedt alluded to talking with fellow Swede and top prospect William Eklund about the transition to the smaller North American ice.

“[We] talked about the transition, the difference between the play styles in Sweden and here with the smaller rink,” Bystedt shared. “[He said] it’s a bit different. In the SHL, you have to skate more. Here, you can more think with your brain. It’s closer areas. You don’t have as much time as you have back home.”