Ethan Cardwell Turns 24: What's Next for the Sharks Prospect?
Heading into his fourth professional season, it's difficult to figure out a path to the NHL for San Jose Sharks prospect Ethan Cardwell. As he turns 24 years old, what does his future look like in San Jose?
Ethan Cardwell, a San Jose Sharks prospect, is 24 years old and nearing his fourth professional season. The path to the NHL for Cardwell remains unclear as he turns 24. In the short-term, he is expected to play a key role for the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League while occasionally filling in for the Sharks. Cardwell is now eligible for waivers, which may present some challenges for the Sharks in sending him to the Barracuda.
Although Cardwell has not established himself as a reliable fourth-line forward, he has the potential to become one. Currently, he is a useful depth forward who can contribute at the AHL level and temporarily serve an NHL bottom-six role. Teams seeking cost savings on their fourth line might view the Ontario native as a depth option via waivers due to his restricted free agent status next summer and one-year, $850k contract.
If the Sharks have an abundance of veteran fourth line forwards, Cardwell might not receive a job opportunity this season. In the meantime, he has proven to be a dependable member of the Barracuda and is set to return stronger after a season-ending injury in the 2025-26 campaign.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
