San Jose Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov had a strange rookie season. Many argued that he had the talent to start the season with the Sharks, or should have been called up earlier than he was. Nonetheless, when he finally got his opportunity in the NHL, he took advantage.
The Sharks' second round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, Chernyshov made his professional debut with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, late last season. He spent the majority of his time there this season as well, but became a regular in the Sharks' lineup late in the campaign.
Statistics
Games Played - 28 - Chernyshov spent the majority of his season with the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The 2025-26 season is officially counted as his rookie season, as he surpassed 25 games played.
Goals - 9 - Despite playing just 28 games, Chernyshov was tied for the most goals by a Sharks rookie during the 2025-26 season.
Assists - 10 - The third most assists amongst Sharks rookies this season.
Points - 19 - Chernyshov tied for fourth on the Sharks in point-per-game pace, averaging .68 points per game.
Shots - 46 - The 19th most shots by a Sharks player during the 2025-26 season.
Shooting Percentage - 19.6% - The second highest on the Sharks, trailing just Pavol Regenda who had a 21.4% shooting percentage.
Time on Ice - 15:03 - The third most average ice time among Sharks rookies who played 20 or more games, trailing only defensemen Sam Dickinson and Vincent Iorio.
Plus/Minus - +2 - Fourth on the Sharks, Chernyshov was one of just seven players to finish with a plus rating.
Giveaways - 24 - The 10th highest giveaways-per-sixty amongst Sharks players during the 2025-26 season.
Takeaways - 4 - The sixth lowest takeaways-per-sixty on the Sharks.
NHL EDGE
Hardest Shot - 81.13 MPH - Chernyshov's hardest shot was below league average, as he only recorded a single shot above 80 miles per hour, which came against the Vancouver Canucks in April.
Max Skating Speed - 22.17 MPH - Chernyshov was tied with the league average maximum skating speed.
Miles Skated Per 60 Minutes - 9.92 - Chernyshov ranked in the 79th percentile, as he covered a considerable amount of ice while in the Sharks lineup.
At this point, it seems fair to say that unless something changes drastically, Chernyshov is all but guaranteed to be on the Sharks' opening night roster for the 2026-27 season. He's shown that he's a capable player at the NHL level and has been a strong complementary option in their top-six forward group at just 20 years of age.