SAN JOSE — Igor Chernyshov does not look scared on NHL ice.
The Sharks’ rookie forward is 20 years old and has played in three NHL games. He doesn’t look out of place one bit.
In those three matchups, he’s played next to Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf on San Jose’s top line and has an assist in every game.
His latest helper came in the second period of the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night at SAP Center, when he drove the net alongside Adam Gaudette on the power play and helped screen Celebrini’s shot from the point, enabling Gaudette to deposit the rebound and score San Jose’s first goal of the game.
It’s been a trend with Chernyshov. He’s attacked his opening trio of appearances with uncommon conviction, looking unfazed when lining up against NHL veterans all over the ice.
His teammates and coaches are taking notice.
“He’s been great,” Gaudette said. “He’s big, he’s fast and he plays hard, and he can shoot the puck. I’ve been impressed with him. He goes out there and he’s noticeable every shift and he’s a great fit on that line, and he wins pucks and he skates hard. That’s what I’ve noticed most about him is his speed on the outside.
“And then he’s not afraid to get to the dirty areas and get into the front of the net. He’s been doing really well, especially the first three games in the league, and he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Chernyshov certainly sports the size to compete at the NHL level. He’s a sturdily built 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds and does not look out of place physically despite facing off against players often a decade or more his senior.
He pairs it with more than enough skill to make opponents give him some cushion. And if they do, he can skate right by them. He did so against Seattle defenseman Ryan Lindgren in the first period, flat-out beating him down the left side of the ice in the offensive zone and generating a scoring chance.
Chernyshov isn’t afraid to shoot the puck either. He finished with five shots on goal Saturday, second on the Sharks to William Eklund’s eight.
“When he uses his big body and his speed, he can take pucks wide and then take it to the net,” Graf said. “And then the next one, maybe he pulls up and hits someone late. That’s a really good element of his game. It’s fun to play off of him and try to go to spots where he can find you.”
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky saw Chernyshov’s winning traits on film when the latter played with the San Jose Barracuda. They’re jumping out right in front of his eyes since Chernyshov was recalled from the Barracuda to make his debut with the Sharks six days ago.
“He looks really good,” Warsofsky said. “He’s really picking up our structure. I know it’s very similar to the Barracuda, but he’s not out of position very often. He’s a smart player. He’s gonna have a really high ceiling, which is a real positive that we’re seeing right now. I’ve watched some games when we’re not playing, and he probably sticks out more up here than I saw in those games. So he’s done some good things.”
Eklund, who has some experience being a wunderkind himself, has been impressed with how smoothly and quickly the Russian rookie has adjusted to the elite level.
“Coming up here, it’s not easy, but he’s made it look easy,” Eklund said. “Every night, he’s been really, really competitive and he’s playing really good hockey.”
There’s another thing they can all agree on. He’s only getting better.
So what’s he going to look like when Chernyshov has a year under his belt? Five years?
The Sharks are looking forward to seeing it. The present isn’t all that bad while they wait.
“When he keeps on getting better, he’s going to be pretty scary out there,” Gaudette said.