Sharks sign prospect Mattias Havelid to entry-level contract

Hävelid was originally taken by the Sharks in the second round, 45th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft. Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing around 176 pounds, he isn’t the biggest player on the blue line. However, his agility and ability to make plays using his feet have made him a solid prospect.

He has spent his entire playing career in his home country, spending parts of the past four seasons with Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League. The Täby, Sweden native split time this year with Linköping and Djurgårdens IF in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-tier league in Sweden. While registering an assist in 19 games with Linköping, Hävelid had better numbers with Djurgårdens, being on the same team as his twin brother Hugo, scoring two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 18 regular-season affairs.

With three points in the postseason, Hävelid helped Djurgårdens win the HockeyAllsvenskan champion, securing promotion to the SHL for the first time since being relegated in 2022.

In 110 SHL appearances, the 21-year-old scored six goals and 13 assists for 19 points.

Hävelid has a fairly decorated international career. He first played for Tre Kronor at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, winning the bronze medal. The following year, helped the team win gold, lead the tournament in scoring by a defender with 12 points.

Hävelid also represented his country at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring nine points in five games, helping the team win bronze.

Last year, he helped Sweden advance to the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, losing to the United States.