The San Jose Sharks have locked up another piece of the rebuild era, perhaps sticking with a similar tactic to Team USA’s plans that helped the Americans win gold at the most recent Winter Olympics. That is, every player has a role. The Sharks announced today that 25-year-old center Ty Dellandrea signed a new, two-year deal worth $3.25 million ($1.625 annually).
Though Dellandrea has been injured and missed a good portion of the season as a result, he was impactful as a depth center at the beginning of this season. The forward played 42 games and had 11 points (2 G, 9 A) during that time. He averaged 14:24 of ice time, including time on the penalty kill. He was also than average in the faceoff circle, with 52.3%.
San Jose Sharks Depth Down the Middle
Dellandrea’s new contract likely indicates a couple of things from the Sharks perspective — some that fans may like and some that they may not. First, it looks like the team knows what it wants down the middle. With four centers locked up for the next two seasons, the Sharks are running with Macklin Celebrini (1C), Alex Wennberg (2C, later 3C), Michael Misa (3C, future 2C) and Dellandrea (4C). Each player knows his role and is suited for that role. General Manager Mike Grier has locked in solid players for those roles who are in the primes of their careers or are moving into their primes, as is the case with Celebrini, Misa and Dellandrea.
As the Sharks get ready for the team’s first foray into the postseason with this generation, this is the group that they will be rolling with.
What Does This Contract Mean for Filip Bystedt?
The second thing this indicates, and this is the part that some Sharks fans may not like, is that Filip Bystedt’s time with the Sharks is likely over. Yes, Bystedt has the ability to be an impactful middle six center in the future, but at this moment, that’s unproven. But even more important, his timeline doesn’t align with the Sharks and that means his time with the organization is likely coming to a close.
Bystedt’s biggest impact for the Sharks moving forward can be as a top prospect who can be traded for an impactful defenseman because that’s one of the pieces it’s going to take for the Sharks to land that kind of player in a trade. The Sharks will likely need an NHL player, top prospect and a draft pick to land a defenseman and Bystedt can most definitely make that happen.
