Young Mattias Havelid might still have what it takes to turn into a full-time NHL defenseman for the San Jose Sharks, but a rough first season post-draft has him dropping down Fear the Fin’s Top 25 Under 25 list. Coming in at 13 last season, Havelid has fallen nine spots to 22nd on this season’s list.
Position: Defense
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 176 lbs.
Age: 20
Date of Birth: January 1, 2004
Draft Year: 2022 (45th overall by San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Right
2024-25 Team: Linköping HC (SHL)
The addition of more top-end defensemen like Sam Dickinson and Leo Sahlin Wallenius contributed partly to Havelid’s drop-off, but there’s also the fact that Havelid had a tough season playing in the top tier of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
San Jose Sharks’ Director of Player Development Todd Marchant talked about Havelid’s troubles on the San Jose Hockey Now podcast. While Marchant was happy that Havelid stayed away from injury until the end of the season, he says there were some confidence issues that the young defenseman had to deal with.
As a result, Havelid was up and down the lineup of his SHL team. He started the season in the top four with Linköping HC but soon found himself playing a seventh defenseman role and then was occasionally in and out of the lineup.
Marchant said playing in the U20 and at the World Junior Championship helped boost Havelid’s confidence, particularly since he was playing against players closer to his own age. That translated into better play in the latter part of the SHL season.
Havelid finished the season with 12 points (2 G, 10 A) in 43 games with Linköping HC. He would have transitioned to the Barracuda on an amateur tryout (ATO), similar to what teammate and fellow 2022 draftee Filip Bystedt did at the end of last season, but a wrist injury prevented Havelid from following that path.
What we like
Havelid continues to show the skills that caused the Sharks to draft him 45th overall in 2022. He is a strong skater with good footwork. He’s also a puck-moving defenseman with elite passing skills. Best of all, he has a high hockey IQ.
While he’s undersized at 5-foot-10, his skills allow him to be an offensive force from the blueline. The Sharks still see great potential in the defenseman as well.
“He’s a very important part of this whole process that we’re going through,” Marchant told Peng.
Areas of improvement
Since he can’t fix his size, the one thing we’d like to see Havelid work on this season is his consistency. When Peng talked with Marchant, one of the key things Marchant was looking for from Havelid was the ability to stick in the top four in the SHL.
“I’d like to see him play a full-time role in the top four in the SHL team in Linköping. I’d love to see him do that,” Marchant told Peng.
The goal is to see Havelid play a “pivotal” and “important” role within Linköping and stay there. The fact that he dropped down the lineup last season was a concern for the Sharks. They would like to see him remain consistent for the entirety of this season.
What’s next for Havelid?
The defenseman has not signed a contract with the Sharks just yet, and until he does, he will not be playing for the Sharks or the Barracuda this season.
That, of course, can change as the season nears. If he signs a contract with the Sharks, he’ll join the Barracuda for the fall. However, it seems like right now, the plan is to send Havelid back to the SHL for another season. A full season in a familiar environment may help him focus solely on developing his game.
If all goes well, the Sharks can do what they did with Bystedt this past spring. The team can bring Havelid over on an ATO and then sign him to a deal in the summer, allowing him to finish the season with the Barracuda. It will give him a chance to get acclimated to North America and San Jose, in particular.
Highlights
Havelid shows off his offensive skills in this one, smoothly skating to an open area of the ice before picking a spot and wristing it past the goaltender.
Insane shot by Mattias Havelid today pic.twitter.com/dzBQY7xjQJ
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) February 23, 2023
And if you’d like a glimpse of what could happen in the future, check this one out. It’s Havelid dishing it to Bystedt for a power play goal for Team Sweden in the WJC.
Two powerplays, two goals.
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 26, 2023
Filip Bystedt’s makes it 2-0 Sweden. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/WzbRxq1FLO
