San Jose Sharks: What To Do With Nikolay Goldobin
One of the biggest stories of the San Jose Sharks‘ summer was the impact their prospects could have in 2015-16, with the most notable being Nikolay Goldobin. The Sharks‘ 2014 first-round draft pick set high expectations when he almost made the team last year. After a developmental season with HIFK Helsinki in Finland, Goldobin is looking to make an impact on this year’s Sharks team.
But after what happened with Mirco Mueller last year, fans are cautious about ruining a prospect’s development by playing in the NHL prematurely. Let’s assess the pros and cons of him making the Sharks versus playing for the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL.
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Why Nikolay Goldobin Should Play for the San Jose Sharks
Goldobin is one of San Jose’s top prospects and by now most fans are aware of his talent. There hasn’t been a prospect with this much offensive talent and creativity since Logan Couture. Therefore, if he makes the team, Sharks fans can expect his offense to translate into many scoring opportunities.
His skill was evident in 2013-14, when he scored the most even-strength points among first-year draft-eligibles while playing on the worst team in major junior. Granted, the reason for this was because he played half of every game but even when adjusted, his scoring numbers were among the elite of the 2014 draft class.
Based on these stats, some fans might associate Goldobin with the Russian stereotype that players like him play well with the puck but lack a complete two-way game. While that statement is reasonable, those fans won’t realize that Goldobin is more notorious for his playmaking abilities. His passing was on display at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships where Sergei Tolchinsky was the beneficiary of two beautiful passes.
Starting as soon as next year, Goldobin won’t have trouble contributing on the score-sheet for the Sharks. His hands are NHL-ready and his playmaking abilities allow him to mesh with most playing styles. Goldobin is also older than most of his peers in his draft class, meaning there is a good chance he is further along in his development. The Sharks could use an offensive spark and they would have their solution in Goldobin.
Why Nikolay Goldobin Shouldn’t Play for the San Jose Sharks
Goldobin’s offensive game could make an impact in the NHL today. But he has some glaring concerns that can’t be ignored, the biggest of which is his play away from the puck. I mentioned that Goldobin could fall into the stereotype of playing a lazy defensive game and he hasn’t rectified that reputation since being drafted by the Sharks.
While playing for the Sarnia Sting, he seemed unsure of himself in the defensive zone. I understand that the level of competition in the OHL is much worse, but his unwillingness to battle for pucks in the corners won’t work in the NHL. I’m also assuming that coaches won’t be happy with his tendency to wait for a breakout pass while ignoring the part where you exit the defensive zone.
These habits were cleaned up while playing in Finland but Goldobin still needs work on his defensive game. He won’t reach his potential without establishing a complete two-way game. This is why he shouldn’t play for the Sharks next year. His unbalanced game will suit well as a top-six forward and the Sharks don’t have room for that.
In training camp, the team has established their top three lines (Pavelski-Thornton-Hertl, Marleau-Couture-Ward and Wingels-Tierney-Nieto) and I doubt they change before opening night. While Peter DeBoer might be a coach that executes the line blender on occasion, Goldobin should not be playing on the fourth line.
He would have far more ice time to progress in his development with the Barracuda and that is the aspect management should stress the most. After all, ice time has had an impact on the successes of two recent prospects.
In 2013-14, Tomas Hertl was given the opportunity to play on a line with Joe Thornton and this happened.
Meanwhile, last season Mueller was thrown onto a pairing with the inconsistent defensive play of Brent Burns. The amount of shot attempts that pairing gave up prompted the Sharks to scratch Mueller on multiple occasions leading to a confidence issue and a sub-par rookie season. Ultimately, Goldobin’s season will depend on how much ice time he receives.
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