The Igor Chernyshov Deep Dive

Many draft pundits feel like the San Jose Sharks got a steal at 33 when they selected forward Igor Chernyshov out of the KHL.

At 6'3" and 204 pounds, Chernyshov has the makings of a power forward who can complement the skill the Sharks have added over the past few drafts.

Last season, Chernyshov split his time between the KHL (the Russian professional league) and the MHL (the Russian junior league) for Mosco Dynamo and showed diverse skill sets in both leagues.

While his scoring production in the KHL is nothing to write home about—4 points in 34 games—he averaged about 8 minutes a night in a fourth-line role.

He was much more productive in the MHL, scoring 28 points in 22 games and dominating other players his age. One of Chernyshov's (number 25) most impressive traits is his willingness to go to the net and hold his own.

This doesn't just happen in the KHL. Chernyshov showed the same willingness to battle in the net against bigger competition. He has no fear and will take punishment and dole out his own in front of the net and along the boards.

He battles on every shift and doesn't back down. The bottom six mentality with a top six skill is exactly what General Manager Mike Grier is looking for. He is a guy who acts like every shift could be his last but has the skill to be a top six player. This shift is exactly what the Sharks are getting in Chernyshov (white jersey 25).

Don't get me wrong; Chernyshov also has a lot of creativity and skill. Here he is in the KHL, pulling off the same move we've seen William Eklund do several times in the NHL.

You saw more of this in the MHL, as Chernyshov had more time and space and was better than the competition he played against. He and San Jose Sharks 2023 7th-round pick Yegor Rimashevsky are toying with their opponents on the penalty kill in a 30-second game of keepaway despite being a man down.

The biggest compliment about Chernyshov is that he makes his linemates and team better because of his ability to adapt his style of play to his surroundings. If Chernyshov is needed to be a puck hound and go and get the puck, he can do that. He uses his size well, which will only improve as he adds muscle. If he needs to be the creative one on the line and drive play, he can also do that.

Already having this type of maturity in his game puts a very high floor on what Chernyshov can be as he goes forward. If he is on a line with Will Smith, Chernyshov can be Smith's puck hound and play the "Ryan Leonard role" of getting the puck and putting himself in a position to score because of Smith's creativity.

Igor Cherynshov has the potential to be a player who we are talking about as the perfect glue guy on any line for the Sharks going forward.