San Jose Sharks Take Igor Chernyshov to Open Round Two of the Draft

With the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft, the San Jose Sharks welcomed left winger Igor Chernyshov from Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. This is a great value selection for a player who dropped out of the first round. They got first-round value out of a second-round pick, finding a Russian winger with good size who will complement the Sharks' future when he eventually leaves Russia to join the NHL.

At 6'2, 195 lbs, he's a big man that can lay hits and force himself into awkward positions. He's one of the few who can hurt you with both his body and hands. When you find a large man like this, you expect to yield a little height to accommodate his size, but this isn't the case. He's a powerful skater and can hold his own in a race with many of the best skaters.

If you're worried about him scoring-wise, there is some problem here. He only had three goals and one assist in 38 games in the KHL this season, but let's remember—this is the KHL. It's a men's league. He was 17 and played most of the year against the best Russia offers. In the MHL, the tier below, he played 22 games and had 28 points. Scoring will not be a problem for this player in the long term.

There's nothing to dislike with this selection. He offers a lot long term. It'll be a while before we see him in North America because he's got some term on his KHL contract, but he's a strong prospect. He'll be a great supporting member of the young core the Sharks are building when he comes across. His upside is incredible, and we will see if the Sharks prove vindicated with their selection.