The contributions of fourth-line forwards often go under the radar. They rarely show up on the scoresheet, but their hard work and determination earn the respect of their teammates and players around the league. Zack Ostapchuk may not have started the season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, but he proved his value to the team when he earned his opportunity.
Ostapchuk started the season with the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League, but after just 11 games, then Sharks forward Jeff Skinner was placed on the injured reserve. Ostapchuk’s play in the AHL earned him an opportunity with the Sharks, and he never looked back. He went on to play 59 games with the Sharks during the 2025-26 season.
The majority of Ostapchuk’s season was spent alongside a mix of Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Reaves, and Adam Gaudette. While offense isn’t a key aspect of his game in any regard, he scored four goals and seven points with the Sharks this season, his line was often praised for their ability to provide energy and make an impact.
“[I] love playing Chucky. I think he brings a lot to the team,” Goodrow said of his linemate. “Obviously, his speed. I think his face offs became a huge part of our line [as well, both] five on five and on the kill. [I] killed a lot with him too, and you can see his game just getting better. He's getting more comfortable. He's making more plays with the puck, realizing just how he can use his speed and how effective he can be on the forecheck. I thought he grew a lot as a player, and he was a joy to play with.”
As a whole, the San Jose Sharks struggled at the faceoff dot, finishing 26th in the league in faceoff win percentage. Ostapchuk was a major bright spot in that regard though. Of all players to take 100 or more faceoffs, he was second on the team winning 51.6% of his 457 faceoffs, trailing just Ty Dellandrea. For context, as a whole, the Sharks won just 47.8% of their draws.
At just 22 years old, Ostapchuk can become a cornerstone of the Sharks’ bottom-six forward group for years to come.
“[He’s] super important [to the future of the Sharks]. Big guy, can absolutely fly, strong, physical, [he’s] now starting to come into himself a little bit, and [has found] what his game is all about again,” Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Really excited about him. He's a great kid, really wants to get better, starting to pick up the penalty kill more and more. [He’s a] good faceoff guy. He's going to be a good one. He's a big, powerful kid, and you notice him when he's out there, because he can do those things.”
“When he came here, he was playing a heavy game, very good on the kill, his speed, his physicality,” veteran forward Ryan Reaves said of Ostapchuk. “The last couple of months, I think you guys saw as much as I did, how much he really started growing into that role. You need depth players like that. He’s going to be a big part of this team, for sure.
Of course, as a 22-year-old forward in the NHL, there are still some things the coaching staff wants to see him work on.
“[He still needs to] continue to work on his puck play and holding on to pucks down low, because he's a big guy with a good frame,” Warsofsky added. “He’s another guy who missed a lot of training last summer, so he'll have a [full] summer of training [this time around].”
The Sharks were a team that struggled to keep the puck out of their net during the 2025-26 season. While some of those issues likely won’t be able to be fixed internally, Ostapchuk has shown signs of becoming a quality shutdown forward in the near future.