The Sharks have signed center Annti Soumela of the Finnish Liiga to a one-year entry-level contract. According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, as many as twelve teams expressed interest in the 24-year-old.
Soumela led Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, in scoring with JYP. Averaging 15:47 minutes per game, he led his team in points (60), assists (39), and game-winning goals (six, tied for second in the league). He also ranked tied for second in goals (21), and third in shots on goal (268) and only took three minor penalties all season. In six playoff games, he added one goal and two assists, as well as three goals and three assists in 12 tournament games to help JYP win the 2018 Champions Hockey League.