SAN JOSE -- Antti Suomela has been a healthy scratch for the last two Sharks games. Now, the 24-year-old center will spend some time in the AHL.
The team announced Tuesday that the Finnish forward, who made the NHL roster out of training camp, has been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda.
With the Sharks still toying with finding winning combinations in their bottom six, the move likely is to get Suomela some playing time so he isn’t practicing and then sitting up in the press box every game.
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The Sharks have made similar moves with their rookie centers this season, including Rourke Chartier, Dylan Gambrell and the more-recently recalled Lukas Radil -- who scored his first NHL career goal Saturday night against the Arizona Coyotes.
Suomela has been a healthy scratch a couple times this season, but he bounced back from the first time by scoring a goal. He has sat out of back-to-back games, however, since Radil was recalled from the Barracuda.
Suomela, whom the Sharks signed last summer, has registered eight points (three goals, five assists) in 27 games played for Team Teal this season. It’s unclear at this time how long his stay at the AHL level will be.