Perhaps surprisingly, the San Jose Sharks appear to have built genuine forward depth, especially at the wing.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the season, how many Sharks wingers did you trust to offer consistently winning minutes?<\/p>\n
These were opening night lines:<\/p>\n
Kurashev-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Toffoli
Skinner-Dellandrea-Graf
Goodrow-Gaudette-Reaves<\/p>\n
Tyler Toffoli was the top winger here, coming off a 30-goal campaign.<\/p>\n
William Eklund and Will Smith had excellent sophomore and rookie campaigns, respectively.<\/p>\n
Besides that?<\/p>\n
Collin Graf had a promising rookie year, but he wasn\u2019t a middle-six staple yet.<\/p>\n
Philipp Kurashev, Jeff Skinner, Barclay Goodrow, and Ryan Reaves were all coming off down seasons.<\/p>\n
The Sharks\u2019 forward depth looks significantly improved now, and that\u2019s not just because Pavol Regenda, mostly with the San Jose Barracuda season, popped in a hat trick in a 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.<\/p>\n
Graf has provided both secondary scoring and is the team\u2019s best penalty killer.<\/p>\n
Kurashev, Goodrow, and Reaves, in different roles, have enjoyed bounceback campaigns.<\/p>\n
And the Cuda haven\u2019t skipped a beat with the Sharks: Regenda, acquired in a minor league trade last year, has five goals in just four games. Ethan Cardwell, who\u2019s been incubating with the Barracuda for three seasons, has provided speed and energy in victories. Igor Chernyshov, a 2024 second-round pick, looks like a budding star.<\/p>\n
This doesn\u2019t include center Zack Ostapchuk, acquired for Fabian Zetterlund last Trade Deadline, who\u2019s solidified the San Jose Sharks at 4C. This frees up another solid secondary scorer in Adam Gaudette to line up at wing.<\/p>\n
No doubt, center Macklin Celebrini\u2019s ascension from Calder Trophy finalist to bona fide superstar is the No. 1 reason for San Jose\u2019s 20-18-3 record, but this wing at depth is a big reason why the Sharks have gone 4-4-0 since losing their second-leading scorer Smith and Kurashev to injury on Dec. 13. Gaudette has also been in-and-out of the line-up with a couple lower-body injuries.<\/p>\n
Chernyshov has been the biggest beneficiary from the Smith absence: Recalled to take Smith\u2019s place next to Celebrini on the top line, the power winger has three goals and eight points in eight games.<\/p>\n
This is a good problem to have, especially when Smith gets healthy.<\/p>\n
At full strength, that\u2019s about a dozen wingers who have helped you to a wild card playoff berth, so far. They may not all be everyday NHL\u2019ers, but they don\u2019t need to be.<\/p>\n
It does appear that the San Jose Sharks\u2019 depth at center and defense, top to bottom, isn\u2019t quite this impactful right now. The Sharks could really use a Chernyshov-like comet, especially on the blueline.<\/p>\n
But credit GM Mike Grier and his professional and amateur hockey ops personnel who, seemingly overnight \u2014 but really, through a lot of planning \u2014 have rebuilt the Sharks\u2019 organizational depth at wing back to respectability.<\/p>\n
Ryan Reaves<\/p>\n
Reaves, on importance of standing up for Macklin Celebrini:<\/p>\n
Anytime any player gets hit like that on our team, there\u2019s going to be a response. Especially one of the best players in the world. I think you got to make sure you send a message that you don\u2019t do that to them. That\u2019s just how it goes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
William Eklund<\/p>\n
Pavol Regenda<\/p>\n
Regenda, on message during first intermission:<\/p>\n
We got to wake up. They jumped on us. First goal, I didn\u2019t backcheck enough, I kind of take a breath, didn\u2019t backtrack all the way down. That cost us a goal.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Ryan Warsofsky<\/p>\n
Warsofsky, on San Jose Sharks\u2019 slow start:<\/p>\n
There\u2019s times where, we do start on time, we have good energy, we play the right way, and there\u2019s times where we don\u2019t. We got to figure that reason, the reasons out why that happens. A lot of it is self-inflicted with our puck play.<\/p>\n
Warsofsky, on pulling Yaroslav Askarov:<\/p>\n
There\u2019s some goals there he probably wants back. I think the second one would be one of them. So Asky\u2019s been playing some pretty good hockey. Again, we forget that he\u2019s still developing as a goalie in this league and to be a No. 1. This is probably a learning moment for him.<\/p>\n
Walked past Mukhamadullin postgame, he\u2019s in a suit. Nothing obvious. <\/p>\n
Also saw Kurashev, who has a cast of some sort (unsure if hard or soft) on his left hand\/arm #SJSharks<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Warsofsky offered no update about Shakir Mukhamadullin\u2019s injury post-game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t