With the recent successes of the San Jose Sharks’ first-round acquisitions, it can be easy to forget 2022 first-round pick Filip Bystedt. The 27th overall pick has been slower to develop than his fellow first-rounders in the Sharks’ organization, especially considering the recent emergence of 2024 first-round pick Macklin Celebrini, 2023 first-round pick Will Smith and potential arrival of 2025 first-round pick Michael Misa. But Bystedt was a later pick, and that means that the forward is going to, understandably, take a little more time to develop than the earlier draftees, especially considering that he’s a European-born skater who, in addition to having to grow into the NHL role, also had to learn how to play on North American ice.
Bystedt has steadily dropped down our Top 25 Sharks Under 25 list over the years, but as with many of the elder statesmen on the list, it has more to do with the additions at the top than any defects in his development. Bystedt went from 8th on our list in 2024, but the additions of players like the aforementioned Celebrini, Smith, Misa and others will do that. In other words, don’t hold the decline against the player and rather attribute his decline to the work General Manager Mike Grier has done to elevate the prospect pool in the past three years.
In his first full season on North American ice, Bystedt held his own. He played 50 games for the Barracuda and had 31 points (12 G, 19 A). He was a plus-4 and spent time on the penalty kill, where he had one shorthanded goal. As far as first seasons go, he did pretty well.
Position: Forward
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 187 pounds
Age: 21
Date of Birth: February 4, 2004
Draft Year: 2022 (27th overall by the San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Left
2024-25 Team: San Jose Barracuda
What we like
When Bystedt was drafted, his best attributes were the way he picked up speed quickly both with and without the puck. His skating was a weapon that allowed him to move up the ice quickly and attack the opposing team with a purpose. Those attributes have translated well at the AHL-level, where he uses his bursts of speed and puck control to create time and space for his linemates. Notice that Bystedt had more assists than goals in his first season in North America, meaning he’s creating the offense.
We also like how quickly and seemingly seamlessly his game has adjusted to the North American ice. Sometimes, it takes longer for Swedish hockey players to get used to the limited time and space that smaller rinks allow for, but Bystedt seems to have adjusted well and his game has not fallen off. He’s survived the transition and taken on heavy minutes in his first full season with no problem. This bodes well for Sharks fans because it means that his transition to the NHL could be sooner rather than later.
Areas of improvement
Some scouts have said that Bystedt needs to improve in the faceoff circle. That’s something that the coaching staff will focus on this season, considering that Bystedt projects to be the Sharks’ third-line center of the future, and that’s usually a guy you want with a solid faceoff percentage.
Other than that, we’re looking for patience. Bystedt has been in the Sharks’ system longer than most of these kids and he’s looking for his shot. Players keep coming in and getting called up ahead of him. They’re all getting looks at the NHL while Bystedt is waiting for his. Let’s assume that GMMG and the rest of the Sharks management team know when the time is right to bring Bystedt up. For the player’s part, Bystedt needs to have the patience and trust to believe that management will call him up when the time is right.
What’s next for Bystedt?
The Sharks’ forward group is extremely crowded, and Bystedt is waivers-eligible exempt, so it’s most likely that Bystedt starts the season with the Barracuda. Bystedt is more of the steady-as-he-goes type of forward, which is good for a team, though not always impressive when it comes to forcing your way onto a roster. That said, he could earn himself a callup if someone in the bottom six goes down, especially if the penalty kill gets light.
As the Sharks begin to liquidate assets at the trade deadline, look for Bystedt to get a shot with the Sharks, even if it’s for a short period of time. We imagine management will want him with the Barracuda for the most part, as getting the team back to the Calder Cup playoffs will be the priority.
No matter what happens, another consistent season with the Barracuda this year will place Bystedt in a prime position to compete for the third-line center role with the Sharks next season.
Highlights
Before the season starts, enjoy these highlights from Bystedt’s first season with the Barracuda.
