Nikita Okhotiuk has the San Jose Sharks coaching staff taking notice.

Often seen as the forgotten piece in the Timo Meier trade, Nikita Okhotiuk has made an impression at San Jose Sharks training camp.

Okhotiuk was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in the Meier trade. He didn't play for San Jose in any fashion due to injury. 

"When it happened, it was less pain. It kept getting more and more. We were trying to find out the injury," Okhotiuk said. "Finally, we did, [and] we tried to do some stuff to avoid surgery, but it didn't work. So, I did the surgery, and I think that was the right decision."

The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Sharks Head Coach David Quinn has liked what he's seen from the Russian. 

"The physical side of his game, everybody told me about," David Quinn said on Sept. 23. "I'd never seen him play, but I've liked his skill level. He's made some good plays. He's jumped in the rush at the right time. He scored a great goal. There's been other things that I hadn't heard about from his game. Now the key is, does that transfer to the games?"

Ohkotiuk is 6'1 and 195 lbs. Because of his style of play, he seems more prominent on the ice. The defenseman is not afraid to use his body and muck it up.

Ohkotiuk is eligible for waivers, so if he weren't to make the San Jose Sharks right out of camp, he would have to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL. Because of that reason, GM Mike Grier might be more inclined to keep him on the roster.

If he were having a bad camp, this discussion wouldn't be entertained, but he is making an impression.

Okhotiuk played in two San Jose Sharks preseason games and has been paired with Kyle Burroughs. Okhotiuk played 18:34 in the first game and 22:02 in the second. He registered an assist against the Anaheim Ducks.

"The thing that I've been impressed with is he's got a little bit more skill than I had anticipated," Quinn said after the Sharks played the Vegas Golden Knights. "Not that I didn't think he was skilled, but he's got the ability to move a puck and get pucks to nets. You can see why we traded for him."

Although Quinn doesn't think Radim Simek's injury is serious, if he were to miss extended time, Okhotiuk's chances would be more significant.

The outlook on Shakir Mukhamadullin may have changed to start the season. Quinn suggested that the AHL is the best place for him to start the season.

Mukhamadullin is waivers-exempt and gives the San Jose Sharks more flexibility. Unlike Okhotiuk, Mukhamadullin projects to be a top-flight defenseman. That is not to say that Okhotiuk isn't a good player, but the potential of Mukhamadullin is higher.

With that in mind, Okhotiuk's play style and prior experience make him a better fit to start the season in the NHL in a bottom-pairing role. His physicality and skating will allow him to be successful against third and fourth-line opposition.

Grier will have some decisions to make, given the backlog of defensemen. With Henry Thrun looking NHL-ready and others making an impression, Okhotiuk will need to continue to impress in a big way to make the NHL out of training camp.