SAN JOSE – Sharks fans will have to wait a bit longer to see center prospect David Edstrom in a San Jose uniform full-time.
Edstrom revealed on Wednesday at the Sharks’ development camp that he intends to return to the Swedish Hockey League for the 2024-25 season. Edstrom joined San Jose’s prospect pool after he was traded to the Sharks along with a first-round pick in the stunning deal that sent alternate captain Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Edstrom was Vegas’ first-round pick in 2023 and the No. 32 overall selection in the NHL draft. San Jose also sent two third-round picks to Vegas to consummate the deal.
“One more year in Sweden, and then we’ll see what happens,” Edstrom said.
The 19-year-old centerman plans to round out his game with another year of seasoning in the SHL, but he’s eager to seize the opportunity available for playing time with the Sharks when he returns from Sweden.
“It’s a good step for me,” Edstrom said. “It’s an organization that is in a rebuild. They want the young guys to develop and (they) want to build a team around them. So this is a good opportunity for me to take the next step.”
Eric Pohlkamp has had a whirlwind last 12 months.
The 20-year-old defenseman from Brainerd, Minnesota, was drafted by the Sharks in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL draft. Immediately after, he was whisked away to San Jose’s development camp that summer.
Fast forward one year, and Pohlkamp is once again immersed in a sea of change. After a 24-point season at Bemidji State that featured a brief detour to win a gold medal with the United States at the World Junior Championship, he has returned to San Jose for his second development camp.
He said he feels more comfortable this time around, but he’s still facing a time of transition. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association first-teamer has transferred to the University of Denver for his sophomore season, and much as he did last year, he’s embracing the challenge ahead.
“Coming here at camp, you’re obviously getting pushed by these guys,” Pohlkamp said. “Bemidji too, I loved it there for the hockey part. But I think I needed to get pushed way more. Going to Denver with David Carle, who’s a stud (as) the coach, I’m really looking forward to playing with those guys.”
Pohlkamp will try to help Denver win its second consecutive national championship and third in four years this upcoming season. But first, he’s soaking in everything that comes with being surrounded by elite NHL talent.
“Last year was an eye-opener here, just to see how everything’s working, see your first camp,” Pohlkamp said. “Second camp, you’re a lot more comfortable, you know a lot more guys. … There’s a lot of similarities between here and in Denver with how (hard) these guys compete and how often these guys want to become an NHLer at the end of the day.”
Reese Laubach’s childhood was spent in San Jose cheering for the Sharks. Now, the former Jr. Shark is in the Sharks’ pro development camp, sharing the ice with Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton.
“It’s awesome,” Laubach said. “Those are the guys I looked up to growing up, so being able to skate with those guys, it’s pretty cool for me. But it’s also pretty cool in a hockey perspective seeing those guys who are some of the best to ever do it be on the ice with you and telling you what they did.”
Marleau and Thornton are assisting with drills during camp, helping to instill the habits and standards that led the Sharks to past success. Laubach, a seventh-round pick in 2022, would love nothing more than to be a part of San Jose’s next golden era.
“I grew up here, so I saw the Sharks at their best,” Laubach said. “I saw them when they went to the Cup final in ’16. And I think some of those guys we have in there now are the ones to push us to that level again.”
