Sharks Sign Ethan Cardwell To One-Year Contract

The San Jose Sharks are getting some housecleaning done before they prepare for tomorrow’s draft. According to a team announcement, the Sharks have signed forward Ethan Cardwell to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.

Cardwell, 23, was a fourth-round selection (121st) of the Sharks back in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was playing on loan for the HockeyEttan’s Surahammars IF in Sweden at the time, finishing with nine goals and 27 points in 18 games with a +10 rating. Returning to the OHL’s Barrie Colts the next two seasons, Cardwell’s offensive prowess showed, scoring 66 goals and 148 points in 111 games with a +43 rating.

By all accounts, that offensive firepower has transferred well into the professional ranks. Throughout his first two years with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, Cardwell registered 34 goals and 91 points in 134 games with a +7 rating. Additionally, he made his debut with the Sharks in the 2024-25 campaign, scoring one goal in six games.

The Oshawa, ON native got off to another good start this past season, tallying seven goals and 15 points in 24 games with the Barracuda, and another one goal in seven games with the Sharks. Unfortunately, his season was cut short in February after he underwent surgery to address an upper-body injury.

Depending on how the surgery impacts his development moving forward, the Sharks are at least prepared to see how Cardwell responds with another full season with the organization. Unfortunately, given the vast depth San Jose has accumulated at the forward position in recent years, Cardwell has an uphill climb to become a full-time member with the Sharks. In a perfect world, he puts together a solid season post-surgery and becomes a long-term scoring forward for San Jose on their third line.