The San Jose Sharks added quite a few NHL-caliber forwards to their organization over the summer, one of which was Alexander Wennberg. The 29-year-old will bring quality playmaking ability to a team that desperately needs it, along with a veteran presence the team could find useful. However, there are some question marks in his game that are definitely worth mentioning.
Wennberg’s Background and Path to Sharks
The Columbus Blue Jackets entered the 2013 NHL Draft with three first-round picks. I’ve discussed how poorly that draft class ended up working out for them previously, but they selected Wennberg with their first selection at 14th overall. Considering their other two selections, Kerby Rychel and Marko Dano, never truly established themselves as legitimate NHL players, it’s safe to say Wennberg was the best of the three. He’s become a respected veteran who while not a perfect player by any means can contribute consistently.
Related: Blue Jackets’ 2013 Draft Failure Was Result of Mismanagement
Wennberg spent six seasons with the Blue Jackets after he made the jump to North America for the 2014-15 season. His second and third seasons in Columbus were by far the most productive of his career, as he recorded 40 points in 69 games in 2015-16 and followed it up with 59 in 80 games the next season. Of those 99 points, 78 were assists, which often frustrated then-head coach John Tortorella. During the 2018-19 season, Wennberg only had a single goal by the midway point of the season, for example. Despite the struggles, he remained in the lineup consistently because although he wasn’t contributing offensively, his penalty-killing and general defensive skill allowed him to make an impact without putting up points.
Before the start of the shortened 2020-21 season, Wennberg was bought out by the Blue Jackets. He signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers, where he was reunited with former Blue Jackets assistant general manager (GM) Bill Zito. With the Panthers, he finally showed an ability to score goals consistently at the NHL level. He notched 17 goals, which remains a career-high for him, in just 56 games. That season proved he has the ability to be a 20, or possibly even more, goal-scorer at the NHL level.
After that contract expired, he signed a three-year deal with the expansion Seattle Kraken for the 2021-22 season. He played well during his stint in Seattle, but he never scored more than 13 goals in a season for them. Despite that, he did still hover around 30-40 points per season. In his final year of the contract, he was traded to the New York Rangers before signing with the Sharks this summer on a two-year deal.
Wennberg Is a Polarizing Player
Hockey fans love telling players to shoot: that’s arguably the most commonly yelled thing by the crowd along with the also-beloved “hit somebody.” Sharks fans are definitely going to be screaming at the top of their lungs when Wennberg has the puck, and occasionally they are going to be frustrated by him. That being said, he’s a player who brings a lot to the table despite leaving a bit to be desired. He’s going to be a solid defensive player, likely someone head coach Ryan Warsofsky relies upon heavily on the penalty kill, and will help young goal-scorers like Fabian Zetterlund reach new levels with his playmaking ability.
Related: Sharks’ Ethan Cardwell Optimistic Heading into Rookie Faceoff
GM Mike Grier did a tidy piece of business bringing Wennberg to the Bay Area. His contract is short, which allows flexibility when players like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith’s entry-level contracts expire and they’re due for extensions. He’s a perfect third-line center who will help bring the best out of those around him, even if he will undoubtedly get on fans’ nerves now and again. Most importantly, bringing players like Wennberg and fellow free agent signing Tyler Toffoli to San Jose shows that the Sharks are a legitimate free agent option for players around the league again. It signifies that the team should be heading in the right direction sooner than later.
