Joe Will thinks that he\u2019s built a Calder Cup-worthy San Jose Barracuda squad.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prospects, I think, are high level. The depth players that we have are high-level,\u201d Will said on Friday. \u201cWe have a lot of character. I think we have a lot of balance. We have size.\u201d<\/p>\n
Will spoke to local media on Friday about what sounds like a mostly-finished Barracuda team. He also touched on next steps for San Jose Sharks prospects Quentin Musty, Filip Bystedt, Cam Lund, Nolan Allan, and more.<\/p>\n
So far this off-season, the Sharks have signed wingers Alex Barre-Boulet, Tye Felhaber, and Brett Leason. They also added defensemen Libor Hajek and Roland McKeown (AHL contract), along with re-making the Cuda goaltending room with Eric Comrie and Kyle Keyser.<\/p>\n
Center Andre Gasseau, winger Carson Wetsch, and defensemen Eric Pohlkamp, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, and Phillip Sinn are significant incoming prospects.<\/p>\n
Here are highlights from Will\u2019s availability.<\/p>\n
Filip Bystedt<\/p>\n
Filip Bystedt projects to be the Barracuda\u2019s No. 1 center, unless the San Jose Sharks\u2019 2022 first-round pick can make a strong case for the big club in training camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cFil has got a lot of great things,\u201d Will said. \u201cHe\u2019s a 6-foot-4 centerman with skill. Young, he can skate.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the Swedish center, who\u2019s still waiver-exempt, have to do to earn an NHL job?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve talked with him, and what he really needs to work on is consistency. He\u2019s had some very high points for us. 60 points last year. He was really on a roll,\u201d Will said. \u201cHe was named our All-Star, then he got hurt. Our plan at that point of time was play at the All-Star game and most likely come up to the Sharks. Had a little monkey wrench with the injury there, and that hurt the momentum at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bystedt sounds like he\u2019s on the doorstep of his NHL debut. But he\u2019ll have to compete with pivots Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Alex Wennberg, and Zack Ostapchuk for playing time in camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he comes in just a little bit stronger and has a good camp, who knows?\u201d Will said. \u201cFil, I think, is on the verge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe Will says the AHL should be allowing 19-year-olds, under specific circumstances, to play in the league starting the 2026-27 season<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Cam Lund<\/p>\n Like Bystedt, Cam Lund almost got recalled by the San Jose Sharks last year.<\/p>\n Sharks GM Mike Grier<\/a> called Lund \u201cprobably\u201d the Barracuda\u2019s best player, before a season-ending injury in February. In fact, the 2022 second-rounder was supposed to replace Bystedt at the AHL All-Star Classic, before he went down with his own injury.<\/p>\n \u201cHis momentum going into that All-Star game, we were just basically waiting for the time to be able to take a look at him up top,\u201d Will said.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-2 winger, still waiver-exempt, projects to have the all-around game to play up and down the line-up, which should help him carve out an NHL career.<\/p>\n \u201cCam, he\u2019s a Swiss Army knife. He can play in all kinds of situations, and you could count on him,\u201d Will said. \u201cYou can use him on PK a little bit like [Collin] Graf in that way, he brings a different element.\u201d<\/p>\n Quentin Musty<\/p>\n