Sharks’ Wennberg explains why coming to San Jose ‘felt perfect’
San Jose Sharks signed Alexander Wennberg to a two-year, $10 million deal on July 1
SAN JOSE – Shortly after he signed with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent this month, Alexander Wennberg couldn’t help but give the Eklund family a call.
Wennberg, then 18, was Christian Eklund’s teammate with Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League a dozen years ago. Now, Wennberg, who turns 30 in September, will play with Christian’s son, William, in San Jose.
“Reached out to (William) as well, kind of having a good laugh about it,” Wennberg said Tuesday of his fellow Stockholm native. “But he’s a great kid and a great player. I’m looking forward to getting to know him a little bit better as well.”
Wennberg will get to know all of his Sharks teammates and coaches – plus his new home city — once he and his family officially move to the South Bay later this summer.
The on-ice details – such as where exactly he’ll play under new Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky – will come later.
The Sharks signed Wennberg to a two-year, $10 million deal on July 1, adding him to a versatile group of forwards the rebuilding team now features after weeks of trades, signings, and other transactions.
Starting with his rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014-15, Wennberg has almost exclusively been a center in the NHL. He’s taken over 9,500 faceoffs in his career, which includes 335 points in 712 games, while also playing a responsible two-way game.
Where he’ll line up in the Sharks’ season opener against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10 is a mystery for now.
The Sharks hope Logan Couture is available to play again this fall after missing almost all of the 2023-24 season with a debilitating groin injury. Mikael Backlund is comfortable on the wing but was also the Sharks’ top-line center for much of the second half of last season.
Then there’s the matter of the Sharks’ top two prospects, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, who played center at their respective NCAA programs. What’s best for them as they begin their pro careers?
That’s part of what Warsofsky and his staff must figure out once camp begins in mid-September.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of the Sharks’ experienced centermen like Wennberg, Granlund, or Couture, if he’s able, skate on a line with Celebrini or Smith, just to help share centermen responsibilities and ease the transition for the two teenagers.
“It’s a good thing to have two centers on a line,” Wennberg said. “Obviously, someone can start as a center, but the game of hockey is so quick, and you react. So if you start as a center and then end up as a wing, I feel like that’s something good because then you can just feed off each other and help each other out.”
Wennberg said he didn’t know what to expect in free agency after he wasn’t re-signed by the New York Rangers, who had acquired him from the Seattle Kraken at the trade deadline for their playoff push.
Wennberg said the Sharks entered the process relatively late on the first day of free agency, July 1, when most business gets done. He’s glad they did.
“Free agency is always a little bit crazy. You start the day, and you don’t really know what to expect. Then you come out of it, and you just try to catch your breath,” Wennberg said. “When (San Jose) was an option, I was really excited about that. Not only with the young talent coming up, but it felt like a good fit for me and the way I want to play my game as well.
“It felt perfect. I tried the rain in Seattle, so I kind of look forward to trying a little bit more sun on the West Coast this time.”
Whether Wennberg plays center or wing to start, it’s fair to say the Sharks will use him extensively on special teams. In two-plus seasons with Seattle, Wennberg was one of the Kraken’s leading forwards on both the power play and penalty kill.
He’s also coming off the longest playoff run of his career, as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final before they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in six games.
“It felt like we were close, but obviously it wasn’t enough. You don’t really get that many chances to go that far, so it was a great experience,” Wennberg said. “It’s a little bittersweet to be close and not winning, but that just makes me hungry for the next time.”