Sharks Locker Room: Don’t Be Too Quick To Judge Trades, Zack Ostapchuk Edition

Zack Ostapchuk has been showing his speed and skill.

That’s not just on Tuesday night, when he flashed breakaway speed to notch the game-winner in the San Jose Sharks’ 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

And that’s not just his first goal as a member of the San Jose Sharks, scored on Dec. 29 in a 5-4 win at the Anaheim Ducks.

“We’ve talked to him about playing with the puck a little bit more,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared on Jan. 2. “He’s actually quickly picked that up. That was a conversation just a couple weeks ago, and we’re starting to see some benefit of that.”

Keep your eye on Ostapchuk (63) in these two clips:

On Dec. 29 at Anaheim, Ostapchuk springs Ryan Reaves (75) and Barclay Goodrow (23) for a 2-on-1. Then, he holds off Ian Moore (74) and Pavel Mintyukov (98) to find Collin Graf (51).

On Dec. 31 in a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild, Ostapchuk beats Zach Bogosian (24) to a loose puck, centering it to Goodrow. Then, his hustle turns a Brock Faber (7) puck into a 50-50.

“He’s got a big frame. He can hold on to it. He can make plays. Can get to the inside,” Warsofsky said.

The 6-foot-4 center is defining himself as the fourth-line center of the future for the San Jose Sharks.

“He’s been playing some good hockey,” Warsofsky said. “Really solidifying his role on this team and as a player.”

And he’s just 22, so there’s still plenty of time for him to grow into more.

Ostapchuk is a great reminder to have patience with trades.

Last Trade Deadline, after the San Jose Sharks acquired Ostapchuk in the much-panned Fabian Zetterlund deal, fans were too quick to dismiss the 2021 second-round pick. Ostapchuk was, granted, underwhelming in his teal debut.

This season, the young centerman is beginning to look like a victory for the Sharks’ pro scouting staff. While he’ll probably never score like a Zetterlund, Ostapchuk’s already-mature defensive game, coupled with these increasing flashes of offense, has the look of a playoff-caliber two-way bottom-six staple.

It’s still early to say — on either side of the coin — but Ostapchuk appears to be a winning player at a very valuable position, no small reason why the 21-18-3 Sharks already have more victories this season, in just 42 games, than all of last year.

Ryan Reaves

Alex Nedeljkovic

Nedeljkovic, on performing like this in front of his dad:

Yeah, it’s great. It’s always fun. I love having family in town. The best part is just seeing, spending time with them off the ice and away from it. It’s obviously a long trip from Cleveland, so anytime I get to spend with them away from the rink is special, and for him to hang out with his grandkids, is fun to watch, and takes a little bit of pressure off me and Emma, and gives us a little bit of a breather too.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on Reaves:

He is a joy to coach. He is so important for our team. What he does to stick up for our team. What he does to stick up for his teammates, change momentum. I think he’s playing really good hockey. We love the guy.

Alex Wennberg

Wennberg, on the San Jose Sharks surpassing last season’s win total in just 42 games:

It’s great. But there’s a long way to go. We’re happy with the wins. But one game at a time. See where it takes us.