Sheng Peng
Zack Ostapchuk is happy to sign a long-term deal with the San Jose Sharks.
The 23-year-old RFA inked a four-year, $9.4 million contract ($2.35 million AAV) on Saturday.
The 6-foot-4 center doesn’t have big plans yet for his first big contract.
“I got to take my workout group out for breakfast. That’s about it,” he laughed. “Guys I’ve grown up with, couple guys play NCAA, a couple guys in the AHL, there’s eight of us, so I’m gonna have to do that tomorrow.”
The San Jose Sharks’ fourth-line center chatted about why he was excited to sign a longer contract, what he’s working on to get better over the summer, and skating with Sharks first-round pick Keaton Verhoeff.
Zack Ostapchuk, on why he wanted to sign a long-term deal with the San Jose Sharks:
It’s just an exciting time to be here, and I just kind of wanted to be around as long as I can, so when a four-year deal was offered, that’s something that was really important to me. I wanted to be around here and grow with this group.
Ostapchuk, on what he’s looking to improve this summer:
It’s your typical get bigger, stronger, and faster in the gym. On the ice, there’s been a lot of net front stuff. I’ve been working on my faceoffs a lot. I want to keep that going. Another big thing I’m really working on is my edgework, being able to hang on to pucks and use my size down low. That’s the next step of my game, being able to do more with the puck down low, drag guys around with me, and create space out there.
Ostapchuk, on the San Jose Sharks’ center group:
It’s a really good group, obviously. Mack and [Michael Misa] are still really young, they’re going to be top-notch players in this league. We all get to look up to a guy like [Alex Wennberg]. He’s a guy who does it at both ends of the ice. One of my favorite players to watch, honestly. I took a lot from him this year, so we all get to look up to him.
Ostapchuk, on meeting Verhoeff this summer:
I’ve skated with Verhoeff a little bit the last [couple] weeks. He’s really good. I kept telling him every time he’d score a goal, that would look good in teal.
He’s from the Edmonton area too, I know guys that work out with him and stuff, they all have nothing but great things to say about him. He seems very respectful, hard-working, but he’s a fun guy. Got him talking and stuff, and usually for a young guy, maybe that’s hard, but he was all smiles on the ice, he’s just having fun out there, and that’s something I like a lot.
He can rip the puck, we had a shooting coach come in…I was out there with him, and he just kept scoring.
Ostapchuk, on where the San Jose Sharks fell short last year:
Maybe it’s just our consistency? That five-game losing streak really, really kind of sunk our ship. We tried battling back after that. We went on a little run, but I think it’s just learning lessons, right? We were a young team, we wanted it so bad, but we gotta bring it every single night, right from the drop of the puck. I think we know that now. We learned our lessons, so I think this year we’re gonna come back with a little more consistency.
See the full interview here