It seems odd to suggest, but could Ozzy Wiesblatt, the San Jose Sharks’ first-round draft pick in 2020, be going back to junior hockey?
The Portland Winterhawks announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired the Western Hockey League rights to Wiesblatt, now with the San Jose Barracuda, from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for a conditional first-round WHL Prospects Draft pick in 2025 and two conditional second-round picks in 2026.
The trade is conditional upon Wiesblatt being assigned by San Jose and reporting to Portland. It was not immediately clear what the Sharks’ next move might be, although such an assignment would be unusual.
Wiesblatt, 20, is in the first year of his three-year entry-level contract and has one goal and four assists in 17 games with the Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate. He did not dress Tuesday in the Barracuda’s 3-2 shootout loss to Coachella Valley, which dropped San Jose’s record this season to 15-19-0-2.
Wiesblatt played in just six of the Barracuda’s 12 games in December but had played in two of the team’s first three games this month, collecting one assist. Wiesblatt has spent almost all of this season in the AHL, although the Sharks did assign him to the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL in October before he was recalled a day later.
Portland, the WHL team of Sharks defenseman Nick Cicek and Barracuda defenseman Derrick Pouliot, entered Tuesday with a 26-6-2-1 record, good enough for second place in the league’s Western Conference. The team is coached by Mike Johnston, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins from June 2014 to Dec. 2015.
Johnston told pnwhockeytalk.com on Tuesday that the deal with Prince Albert wasn’t finalized until right before the WHL trade deadline at 2 p.m. (PST), adding that he hadn’t had a chance to speak to anyone in the Sharks’ front office before the deal was completed.
Johnston also noted that because of the Jan. 10 deadline, if Wiesblatt plays another game for the Barracuda, the trade is nullified.
“It was presented to us to obtain his rights, and I thought it made sense for the risk,” Johnston said. “Whether we get him or not, that will be determined by San Jose. He can’t play another game in the American League or the deal is done.”
The Barracuda’s next game is Wednesday in San Diego against the Gulls.
Wiesblatt was selected 31st overall by the Sharks in 2020 with a draft pick they acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Barclay Goodrow.
Wiesblatt, listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, made his pro debut with the Barracuda on Feb. 7, 2021, and played two more AHL games that month before he was returned to Prince Albert. He came back to San Jose in May of that year and played three more games.
Wiesblatt played four full seasons for Prince Albert and totaled 58 goals and 121 assists for 179 points in 195 games prior to this season. The Calgary native helped the Raiders win the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions in 2019, and served as the team’s alternate captain from 2020-22.
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