Why Are Sharks Loaning Wiesblatt to Milwaukee Admirals?

Ozzy Wiesblatt has been loaned to the Milwaukee Admirals.

Wiesblatt, the 2020 San Jose Sharks’ first-round pick, has spent the entire season with the San Jose Barracuda. The Admirals are the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate.

The 5-foot-10 winger has three goals and eight assists in 34 games this season, missing about five weeks of action because of meniscus surgery.

This unusual re-assignment could be good news for Wiesblatt though.

“Ozzy is an important player in our prospect pool and loaning him to Milwaukee will allow him to gain some valuable playoff experience,” Barracuda General Manager Joe Will said in a team statement.

Another source from outside the San Jose Sharks organization confirmed the substance of Will’s message.

The Barracuda are currently 19 points out of the last Pacific Division playoff berth, while the Admirals are leading the Central Division.

In parts of three seasons in pro hockey, all with the Cuda, Wiesblatt has 11 goals and 18 assists in 85 games. Last year, he was also sent down to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder for a day, not playing a game, before being brought back.

Wiesblatt has also battled a number of injuries since the San Jose Sharks made him the 31st pick of the 2020 Draft, including shoulder surgery in 2021-22, and this season’s knee injury.

This appears to be the Sharks wanting to get their once-top prospect going, more than anything. Wiesblatt has one more year left on his ELC after this season.