SAN JOSE – Filip Bystedt’s blond hair was a little longer than usual when he arrived at the start of San Jose Sharks training camp a couple of weeks ago, having let it grow for the past two or three months.
After Bystedt decided he needed a haircut, his Swedish countryman, veteran Alexander Wennberg, recommended a local barber shop for the 20-year-old center.
“It’s a little tough. I was deciding to go really short or just like this,” Bystedt said of the haircut, which ended up as more of a modest trim. “I was a bit scared, so I went with this one.”
It’s a small example of an experienced player like Wennberg, who signed a two-year contract with the Sharks in July as a free agent, helping Bystedt, a similarly built player who also left Sweden for the United States at about the same age.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Wennberg turned 20 just before he began his first full season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014-15. The 6-3 and 210-pound Bystedt, selected 27th overall by the Sharks at the 2021 NHL Draft, is set to play his first entire season in North America, likely starting the year with the Barracuda of the AHL.
“He’s helped me a lot from faceoffs to a bit about the North American game,” Bystedt said of Wennberg, “and then just talking off-ice, just normal stuff, like living and where to go.”
Bystedt, Wennberg, and all the Swedish players in camp have bonded in recent weeks.
“I was 19, too. It’s so different,” Wennberg, now 30, said of his arrival from overseas. “You shoot a lot more pucks there, and the ice is a little bit bigger as you move around. It’s a big change. But if you have the tools to read, adjust, and use your hockey IQ, you’ll be fine.
“I don’t worry about Bystedt. He’s a smart guy.”
Bystedt did not travel with the Sharks for their exhibition game Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. While more training camp roster cuts are coming soon, Bystedt might get a chance to play in at least one more preseason game, perhaps on Tuesday at home against the Utah Hockey Club.
If Bystedt does play, he’ll have to stand out in some fashion to have a chance at sticking around and competing for one of the final few spots on the 23-man roster. In the Sharks’ preseason game earlier this week at home against the Ducks, Bystedt assisted on a power play goal by Jack Thompson and won seven of 10 faceoffs in about 14 minutes of ice time.
“I’m looking for him to take the next step,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Bystedt. “I thought he was good in the first game, but we need to keep pushing and challenging him to use his frame, to use his size. He’s gotten better at improving his pace, getting pucks and going, but I’d love to see him take the next step.”
FUTURE LINEMATE?: As a possible preview to the regular season, Warsofsky had Mikael Granlund play as a wing on Will Smith’s line during the non-game group’s practice Thursday morning.
The right-shot Smith, the fourth overall pick in 2023, is expected to play as a center in his first professional season, and there would seem to be some benefit to having a versatile veteran like Granlund, a left-shot, play alongside the 19-year-old.
“There’s a chance we see (Granlund) on the wing at some point this year,” Warsofsky said. “So there was some thought behind (getting) Granny on the wing with Will, and give him someone to play with, just get a different look through practice.
“We had a bigger (practice) group today … but we’ll probably see that going forward a little bit.”
The Sharks do not have many right-shot centermen, so Ty Dellandrea was projected to play center Thursday night in Anaheim to add some versatility.
SEASON DEBUT: December Matt Benning, who had hip surgery in December, was set to play in his first preseason game Thursday in Anaheim.
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Benning played 14 of the Sharks’ first 25 games last season before the hip issue became too much for him to bear. His last game was Dec. 3 in New York at Madison Square Garden, and he had the surgery a few days before Christmas.
A healthy Benning would undoubtedly solidify the right side of the Sharks’ defense, which also features fellow veterans Jan Rutta and Cody Ceci.
“He’s a veteran presence,” Warsofsky said of Benning. “Penalty killer, blocks shots, heart and soul guy, knows exactly what he is. Heavy down low and can stop pucks up. We missed him big time last year.”
