Fear the Fin and just about every other site that’s a fan of the San Jose Sharks has written extensively about Macklin Celebrini, the team’s newest forward. We were stunned when the Sharks snagged Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick a little over an hour later. We’ve written about both of those new prospects in previous posts.
However, it’s time to pay attention to some of the depth players the Sharks added during the draft. These are the players who are not likely to jump to the NHL this season, as Celebrini has done, or even in the next season or two, as Dickinson might do. Instead, these players add depth to the prospect pool and may potentially join the team in three to four seasons.
We start things off with Igor Chernyshov, a forward that many projected would go in the first round of the draft. He came close to it. The Sharks selected Chernyshov with the first pick on the second day of the draft, 33rd overall.
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 196 lbs.
Age/DOB: 18, November 30, 2005
Shoots: Right
MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL): 22 games, 28 points (13 G, 15 A)
Dynamo Moskva (KHL): 34 games, 4 points (3 G, 1 A)
Dynamo Moskva (KHL) Playoffs: 10 games, 0 points
While Chernyshov was not impressive in his partial time with Dynamo Moskva in the KHL, it would do Sharks fans well to remember that he was a 17/18-year-old forward playing in a men’s league.
The KHL is Russia’s highest professional hockey league, and so the young Chernyshov was learning how to use his size and speed against much more experienced men. The simple fact that he had a taste of the KHL in the 2022-23 season and then played half of the 2023-24 season in the KHL should make fans happy.
What do scouts say about Chernyshov’s game?
There’s a reason why sites like Elite Prospects had Chernyshov going at 28 in the first round.
“A powerful skater and a high-end handler, Chernyshov excels at anticipating openings and exploiting them,” wrote the Elite Prospects’ Draft Guide. “He beats defenders consistently by properly setting up his dekes, building up speed below the puck and then attacking with a speed advantage and working give-and-goes. While he’s often direct, he also has a rather advanced delay game that he can pull out when the situation calls for it.”
Chernyshov is considered a strong skater with a powerful stride, good first step, and top-end speed. He knows how to use that edgework and speed to create space for himself and develop plays.
His size is also an attribute, and so far, Chernyshov has learned how to use that size to his advantage. Ben Kerr of Last Word on Sports said there are some aspects of Brady Tkachuk in Chernyshov’s play.
“Chernyshov has the skills to be a power forward. He is willing to drive the net and play in the dirty areas of the ice. His soft hands allow him to deke defenders,” wrote Kerr. “They also help him to score goals in tight, beating goalies, pouncing on rebounds and getting deflections. From further out he has a strong wrist shot and a quick release that can fool goalies. Chernyshov knows how to get open without the puck. Finding open ice and being ready to take a pass and one time the puck on the net.”
San Jose Sharks management promised that the Sharks would be a fun team to watch again and Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff believes that Chernyshov will help in that regard.
“His competitive energy and smooth skating make him fun to watch. Chernyshov is a 6-foot-2 forward who can play with physicality, but it’s the way he’s constantly forcing opponents to make quick, potentially undesirable decisions that makes him compelling,” wrote Ellis.
What’s next for Chernyshov?
Chernyshov is signed for one more season with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL, so that’s where he’ll play next season. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. There’s the political climate to consider, though that has not been a problem as of late. Perhaps more important is the development of the player.
Chernyshov isn’t lighting up the KHL. He’s not the same tier as, say, Matvei Michkov, who had 20 points in 30 games in his draft season in the KHL and scored 41 points in 47 KHL games in his post-draft season. Barring an explosive increase in production, Chernyshov won’t be ready to jump from the KHL to the NHL in the 2024-25 season.
It will be next season that the Sharks will need to decide if Russia is the best place for the young forward to continue to develop or if they would rather have him in North America, playing with the Barracuda.
Either one would be perfectly fine for a forward who could be a nice addition on the wing of Celebrini or Will Smith in three to four years.
