San Jose Sharks
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.
Not a great look on that turnover, but where was his support? HIs options: A blind reverse to Thrun who was behind the net. if that doesn’t work, dangerous turnover. Hard backhand up the wall? Probably the best choice, but not an easy clear as it’d need to be really hard. Flip it high? Maybe, again, gotta get out and that’s not easy to do. Eat the puck in the corner? Without support on the half-wall, its a series of less than stellar choices. What happened wasn’t good, but its unclear why no one was heading to a more helpful… Read more »
These are good questions, but I really think there he should have just eaten the puck. This is exactly where players like him go wrong. You’re trying to make the same play in your end that you’re making in the offensive zone. It’s just too dangerous and it’s too important of a situation to just blindlyThrow it up in the middle of the ice.
I know it’s a cliche to say glass and out is the solution for every D-zone problem, but even though he was under pressure, it wasn’t so much that he couldn’t get it on his forehand and send it against the boards. At least make Coleman use his body to keep it in rather than an easy stick keep. It’s the simple move and the right one there.
It’s not blind if Thrun screams Kovie or whatever they call him!! That was the play and a pretty routine one at that. Just no communication. If not that just rip it as hard as you can off the glass up and out and live to fight another day.
Wow… a comment of yours that we all like. Must be gettin cold in hell? 😜🤣🤣
100% agree the reverse was the right play, commonly executed in the NHL
I would really like somebody to do a video breakdown of number 63 and why it was so important that we trade away one of our top young goal scorers to get him because frankly I don’t see it.
I don’t think Ostapchuk is on the shorter leash to prove himself that some other guys are, so I’m not super worried about him. If he looks the same next season then I will start to worry.
But I have noticed that he seems a little unsure of himself out there. Like he’s struggling with the system or something. Being at the home games, somewhat close to action, I’ve seen him usually kind of looking like he’s thinking a lot about what he’s doing and not just playing hockey.
Did you say the same thing about Zet’s first 20 or something games in teal when we traded away Meier?
Most certainly not most people were pretty disappointed with what we got back for Timo.
I think what we have to be looking for from Chucky is can he have a game like that line had last night? They looked great. That’s what the fourth line does and finding a strong fourth line center is one of the most important pieces for this young shark team going forward. There will be more wingers. I love Zetterland also but maybe for the playoffs become a Senators fan.
The “4th line” was pretty solid last night. But our 2nd line is more of a below average 3rd line right now and the 3rd line was a 6th line. If Celebrini buries a couple chances last night, which he will do more and more of in his career, the team wins. But it didn’t happen and we move on. And back to Zetterlund, I would just ask what line he plays on when the Sharks are the cup contenders. 2 years from now, I just don’t see a place for him on this team, the competition is going to… Read more »
I read way more people complaining that Zetts was a bust when he first got to SJ.
I admit I gave Zetts a grace period when he came over, but largely because the hype around him was he was having a bad year, and while he had potential, we were told by GMMG and pundits that if he hits 10-15 goals in the next season, he would satisfy expectations. If you watch any of Zetts in Ottawa, he is struggling. He appears to struggle with adapting in short order to a new environment. Fair, and understandable. I also freely admit I watch SJS games on replay, as I live on the Least coast now, and simply cannot… Read more »
FWIW I like Zetterlund but have always wondered if he was a core piece of the youth movement:
https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-fabian-zetterlund-2024-25/
We don’t need anyone to replace the scoring “now”. The offseason is here in a few games and there will be massive changes to this roster. Wing is the easiest position to fill in the NHL. You can move excess centers to wing. This teams biggest strength prospect wise at this point might be at wing. Those guys will need a place to play. Chernyshov and Musty could both potentially make the NHL next season and both have a far higher upside than Zetts. it didn’t set the rebuild back because of the asset management. Those picks don’t have to… Read more »
Bingo. And this kids way younger and far earlier in the development cycle. We won’t know if he’s a bust for a couple seasons.
I honestly think its difficult to judge right now. Ostapchuk and Zetterlund are at very different places in their careers, and they are very different kinds of players. To be successful Ostapchuk has to play a defense focused style that takes longer for players to really master at the NHL level. Its just going to take time, and he’s young at 21. I think we’re kind of spoiled with all the high impact players who’ve come in at 19 and 20, but Ostapchuk is on a more typical development track. We should also be fair to the adjustment period. Zetterlund… Read more »
It’s coming!
To me, he just looks like a rookie. Timid, looking around and lacking assertiveness. Basically Will Smith for the first half, yet you’d think Ostapchuk’s game might be easier to translate at the pro level?
It’s been explained already and if you need it spoon fed you can listen to the podcast. How’s that top young goal scorer doing in Ottawa?🤔
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While I usually enjoy your spot on, off the cuff comments, I think we should wait on Zetts in Ottawa. He wasn’t great after being traded to Sharks either, but the season after he finished first. Can he do it in Ottawa? Don’t know, but wishing him best.
Kinda my point overall. Patience for both players is warranted. Complaining about a 21 year old a hand full of games with a new team is ridiculously premature. Like I stated, Sheng detailed this on the podcast and I think in an article after the trade. The potential for a huge physical 3rd line center outweighs a one dimensional winger. The center is the far harder thing to acquire and develop and up-chuck is far enough along to matchup with the rest of the impending nucleus. Basically Zetts offense doesn’t outweigh his defensive lapses and he likely only scored at… Read more »
I wish him the best too but I would make that trade all day every day.
I really like Kovalenko, but I feel like he’s just forever gonna be in the doghouse
Not sure he is doing any favors for himself with what he says either lol