Sharks Locker Room: Kovalenko Honest, Both On and Off the Ice

Nikolai Kovalenko was honest, both about on and off-the-ice matters, after the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

Most importantly, credit to the 25-year-old Russian winger, subject to six-straight healthy scratches, for being open about the mental toll of getting sat constantly: “I think for everybody [in the NHL], have perfect muscles, perfect speed, perfect skill. More important [is the] mental thing, and I try working with myself, with [a therapist].”

Secondary, the rookie said of how he can improve on his first game since Mar. 22, “Try to help my teammates score, or be open a little bit quicker. A couple times, I have mistakes today, so I need to a bit smarter when I’m tired.”

That’s a reminder to look beyond the scoresheet, and Kovalenko’s assist on Will Smith’s goal:

Will Smith gives #TheFutureIsTeal the lead late in the first!
1-0 Sharks pic.twitter.com/i3siMYse7p

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) April 8, 2025

That’s taking nothing away from the perfect Kovalenko (15) pass through Kevin Bahl (7) to Smith (2).

He’s a capable playmaker, which he showed from the get-go when the San Jose Sharks acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche for Mackenzie Blackwood in December, when he notched five assists in his first four games in teal.

Kovalenko’s offense isn’t why he’s been scratched.

It’s more, careless puck touches like this:

Kovalenko’s weak, unforced backhander was swallowed up by Blake Coleman (20), leading to an immediate counterattack. Luckily for Kovalenko, 22-year-old Matt Coronato (27) gave the puck right back to Lucas Carlsson (36).

This wasn’t his only gaffe, as Kovalenko himself admitted, and as documented in my running diary of the San Jose Sharks’ sixth-straight loss.

All this isn’t to pile on Kovalenko, who has clear skill. But staying in the line-up isn’t just about flashes of skill, it’s also about not hurting your team when you’re not at your best.

It’s about being a consistent net positive, which Kovalenko, like many inexperienced players, struggle with early in their careers.

Can Kovalenko find some consistency? Time is running out: He’s an RFA, and there are just five games left this season.

The talent is there, no doubt.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on Georgi Romanov:

Really good again. Gave us a chance to win. I’ve liked him a lot.

Warsofsky, on Nikolai Kovalenko:

I thought he was good, made some good plays.

Warsofsky, on Zack Ostapchuk’s line:

They were hard to play against. They were physical. They were getting on pucks. [Keeping] their game simple. I thought Chucky was good. Was solid tonight. He’s getting more and more comfortable as he plays.

Warsofsky, on Will Smith:

Two goals tonight, he’s playing on the inside more. The game’s really slowed down for him. I thought he was really good again.

Nikolai Kovalenko

Kovalenko, on what he needs to improve next game:

It depends, will I play or not? (laughs) Same thing, focus on my game. Try to help my teammates score, or be open a little bit quicker. A couple times, I have mistakes today, so I need to a bit smarter when I’m tired. Because my mind turns off when I’m tired, so I need to switch [it] on.

Kovalenko, on how he focuses when he’s being scratched so frequently:

I think for everybody [in the NHL], have perfect muscles, perfect speed, perfect skill. More important [is the] mental thing, and I try working with myself, with [a therapist], try working with them, and try working with myself too every time.

Timothy Liljegren

Liljegren, on the San Jose Sharks’ lack of aggressiveness in the third period:

Starts with me making a bad pinch. Obviously, if I pinch here, I gotta make sure I get the puck. That kind of starts it off, and they gain some momentum, and obviously get a power play score [too]. So then we’re kind of chasing the game again.

They came out harder in the third period. We knew that. We had trouble coming out of our zone. They kind of changed your forecheck a little bit, I felt like, we didn’t adjust good enough.