SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed forward Manuel Wiederer (WEE-der-er, @wieds21) to a standard, entry-level contract.

"Manuel mixes a defensively responsible two-way game with speed and offensive creativity and has proven that he can play with players much older than he is," said Wilson. "He takes pride in his defensive game, but has also shown that he can produce when asked to provide offense. We look forward to him developing his overall game with our organization."

The 20-year-old Wiederer spent 2016-17 with both Moncton and Rouyn-Noranda of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and recorded 53 points (29 goals, 24 assists) and 29 penalty minutes in his second season in the QMJHL. He finished the season ranked 3rd on Rouyn-Noranda in goals, 4th in points and 2nd in power-play goals (10). In addition, Wiederer added 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 playoff games, ranking T-5th on the team in playoff goals and assists.

In 114 career QMJHL games, Wiederer has collected 117 points (58 goals, 59 assists) and a plus-21 rating. In 2015-16, he finished 3rd on the team in goals (29), assists (35) and points (64) in his first season in the QMJHL, and ranked 2nd on the team in plus/minus (+23). The first-year player led the team in goals (12) and points (16) during the playoffs, ranking T-4th overall in the league in playoff goals.

He has represented his country of Germany on several occasions, including the 2016 D1A World Jr. Championships, 2015 World Jr. Championships and the 2014 U-18 World Jr. Championships.

The six-foot, 170-pound native of Deggendorf, Germany was selected by San Jose in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.