The San Jose Sharks decided not to re-sign Tom Pyatt after acquiring his rights last month and the veteran forward is now going to take his talents overseas. Pyatt has signed a one-year contract with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Pyatt, 32, was only included in the trade of Francis Perron because the Canucks needed to clear a contract slot, and was never expected to be retained by the Sharks. After playing 37 games with the Ottawa Senators last season he ended up in the minor leagues with the Utica Comets following a trade to Vancouver, and obviously didn’t make enough of an impact there either. Pyatt has actually been a full-time member of the Senators for the last three seasons after a two-year stint in Switzerland rebuilt his value.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the New York Rangers in 2005, the two-way forward played 485 total games in the NHL and recorded 107 points. His history overseas is much more productive however, something he’ll try to emulate again in the highest Swedish league. A two-time gold medalist at the World Juniors, Pyatt has carved out a nice professional career for himself despite never being much of an offensive threat at the NHL level. He’ll potentially be an option for another two-way deal in the summer of 2020.