Ozzy Wiesblatt will not be in the San Jose Barracuda line-up for a while.
According to a source, the San Jose Sharks prospect will undergo meniscus surgery, and will be shelved for about a month.
Wiesblatt last played on Jan. 6. The agitating winger has two goals and five assists in 25 games.
It’s been a struggle for the 21-year-old since the San Jose Sharks selected him in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
Like others in his Draft class, his development was hampered by COVID restrictions in the 2020-21 season. The next year, his campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury. Last season, he was in-and-out of the lineup, and was even sent down briefly to the ECHL, rallying to finish with six goals and nine assists in 45 AHL games.
Wiesblatt’s entry-level contract expires after 2024-25, so his time is running out to make a strong impression on the San Jose Sharks.
This injury certainly won’t help him make a case.
This is just another uphill climb for Wiesblatt, who will need to lean on his mental growth from last summer to get through yet another roadblock between him and the NHL.
“You go through some adversity last year and you learn how to block some things out,” he said at San Jose Sharks development camp in July. “Sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror and answer some of the hard questions. Once you can do that and be honest with yourself, I think you’re on the right path.”
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