Warsofsky on Scratching Mukhamadullin, Young Defenseman’s Confidence (+)

The balance between letting a player work through mistakes and making him feel like every mistake will result in a benching can be a difficult one to strike for a coach. That balance can also look different for a younger player compared to a veteran.

So what’s the balance for San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky?

“With the younger defensemen [letting them make] some young mistakes and letting them learn through that mistake and mentally not crushing them. And there’s some older guys that get a little bit longer rope, what they’ve done in their career,” Warsofsky said. “There’s a lot of conversations that I have with our staff, with Mike [Grier] and his staff, to what we think is best. And maybe there probably isn’t a perfect answer for that, but we try to do what’s best for the team.”

It’s a balance that Warsofsky is trying to strike with Shakir Mukhamadullin.

Mukhamadullin, 23, is a former first-round pick and was a centerpiece of Feb. 2023’s Timo Meier trade. The 6-foot-4 left-hander was a revelation after the Trade Deadline last year, skating 21:05 a night in March, before season-ending shoulder surgery. Mukhamadullin has struggled to find the same mojo this season, playing just 16:30 a game, and being a frequent healthy scratch. He’s got a goal and five points through 13 appearances this season.

Generally speaking, how does Mukhamadullin stay in the line-up?