Filip Bystedt Fails To Make Sharks' Opening Night Roster, Sent To Barracuda

The San Jose Sharks announced a few more cuts to their training camp roster, including center Filip Bystedt. The Sharks' 27th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Bystedt showed improvements during the 2025-26 campaign, but seemed to struggle quite a bit during preseason outside of the latter half of his final game. Since he's still waiver-exempt, Bystedt was reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda, but it seems fair to question whether or not he'll ever make the jump to the Sharks' roster at this point.

Bystedt made more than one appearance in preseason for the first time in his career this time around, playing two games and registering three points (a goal and two assists). On paper, his production was fine, but he often felt slow, disengaged, and out of position. While other young players are running with their opportunity, he seemed content with heading back to the Barracuda.

Players like Cam Lund, who is unfortunately not playing in preseason due to injury, Igor Chernyshov, and Ethan Cardwell have all gotten the chance to play some NHL games over the past few seasons, but Bystedt is yet to make his debut despite being drafted two years before Chernyshov and a round ahead of Lund. 

While late first-round picks usually aren't game changers, the Sharks undoubtedly would've preferred to see Bystedt show that he's deserving of an opportunity by now. At 22 years of age, he still has time to get to the NHL, but it won't be long before he's no longer viewed as a prospect. 

This season, it seems like it's now or never for Bystedt, he needs to appear in at least one NHL game in the 2026-27 campaign, otherwise it'll be very easy for him to get left behind moving forward as more and more prospects become NHL ready.