San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Mike Grier announced today that the club has signed forward Alexander Wennberg to a two-year contract worth $10 million ($5 million AAV).
“Alexander is a good two-way center and provides a good veteran presence for our forward group,” said Mike. “He plays a fast-paced game and can be utilized in all situations. We are excited to have him inside the organization.”
Wennberg, 29, split the season with the New York Rangers and Seattle Kraken last year, appearing in a combined 79 NHL games, and scoring 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists). It was the third consecutive year in which he posted 30 points, and fourth straight year where he scored double digit goals. While as a member of the Rangers, he appeared in his milestone 700th NHL game on Mar. 19 vs. the Winnipeg Jets. In the postseason, he appeared in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Final, scoring two points (one goal, one assist).
Over the course of his NHL career, Wennberg has played in 712 NHL games, scoring 335 points (91 goals, 244 assists). He set career highs in assists (46) and points (59) in the 2016-17 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He has also appeared in 58 Stanley Cup Playoff games, scoring 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists). He set career bests in assists (5) and points a single postseason appearance (7) in the 2023 playoffs with Seattle.
Prior to his NHL career, Wennberg appeared in one season for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), scoring 21 points (16 goals, five assists) in 50 games. That season, he led the league in goals by a junior, and was named as the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year, and was a finalist for SHL Rookie of the Year.
Internationally, he has represented Team Sweden at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships, winning a silver medal in both tournaments, along with two appearances at the World Championship (2016, 2019). He scored 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) across 18 World Championship games.
The six-foot-two, 190-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden was originally selected by Columbus in the 2013 NHL Draft (first round, 14th overall).
