Sharks Sign Leo Sahlin Wallenius
The Sharks signed one of their promising prospects on Friday, announcing that they inked defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius to a three-year, entry-level contract. While the team didn’t reveal financial terms, the deal will carry a $940K cap hit and a $975K AAV including bonuses, per PuckPedia.
The 19-year-old was a second-round pick last June, going 53rd overall after an impressive season with Vakjo’s Under-20 team, one that saw him collect 11 goals and 31 assists in 43 games. He also briefly saw time with their Under-18 squad and represented Sweden at the World Under-18 Championship.
This season, Sahlin Wallenius bounced around a bit. He had 14 points in 8 games for Vaxjo at the Under-20 level but also saw time in Sweden’s two professional leagues as well, suiting up in 14 games for Nybro in the Allsvenskan where he had six points and 16 more appearances for Vaxjo in the SHL, where he picked up five points. In between, Sahlin Wallenius also played in seven games with TPS in Finland’s top division where he added three more points.
Sahlin Wallenius has one year left on his contract in Sweden. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to play the year there, likely at the SHL level, and then head to North America for the 2026-27 season. If that happens, his contract will slide next season and have three years remaining on it heading into that 2026-27 campaign.
Minor Transactions: 8/23/24
We’ve seen a trade of note in the NHL today but there has been some transaction activity elsewhere as well. Here’s a rundown of the ones with an NHL connection.
- Former Buffalo blueliner Victor Antipin is on the move in the KHL as Barys Astana announced that they’ve signed the 31-year-old to a one-year deal. Antipin played in 47 games with Buffalo back in 2017-18 (notching ten assists while logging 15:17 per night) but elected to return to Russia early in free agency the following year. Last season, Antipin played in 57 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk, recording 17 points.
- Jets prospect Markus Loponen has, as expected, signed a contract with WHL Victoria, per a team release. The 18-year-old forward was a fifth-round pick by Winnipeg two months ago, going 155th overall. Loponen had 25 goals and 29 assists in 45 games last season for Karpat’s under-20 team, resulting in him being picked in the first round of the CHL Import Draft this summer. Loponen requested and was granted his release by Karpat earlier this week, paving the way for him to join the Royals.
- Sharks prospect Leo Sahlin Wallenius has been loaned to Nybro in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan, the team announced. The blueliner was the 53rd overall pick back in June following a strong showing in Vaxjo’s junior system. Sahlin Wallenius had 42 points in 43 regular season games at the Under-20 level while also picking up three assists for Sweden at the World Under-18s in the spring.