San Jose Sharks select Igor Chernyshov No. 33 overall in 2024 NHL Draft

An up-and-coming forward has heard his name called.

On Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Sharks took Dynamo Moscow forward Igor Chernyshov in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, No. 33 overall.

Chernyshov is one of the more intriguing power forwards in this draft. He was ranked No. 9 among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and 22nd by Daily Faceoff draft expert Steven Ellis.

“Chernyshov has good size and isn’t afraid to use it,” Ellis said. “A typical power forward, Chernyshov played more than half the season in the KHL but was also a stout offensive threat in the MHL. For the most part, I like how he has matured this year. He doesn’t make as many poor decisions with and without the puck as last year and doesn’t seem to struggle under pressure.”

The 6-foot-2 winger uses his size to drive the puck to the net and his finishing touch to be a legitimate scoring threat at the next level. Even as a “big man,” he has good hands in tight areas. One part of the 18-year-old’s game that has improved over the past year is his composure with the puck, as well as his work ethic away from the puck.

Something that has always been apparent in Chernyshov’s game has been his skating ability. A very strong skater down the wing, he is excellent at quickly getting to the open areas of the ice, crucial in creating high-quality scoring chances.

The Penza native has played parts of the last two seasons with Dynamo’s KHL team. After playing five games during the 2022-23 season, Chernyshov was with the top team for 34 games, including all 10 of the team’s playoff games. He’s only scored four goals and an assist in his time in the KHL, but the MHK Dynamo in the MHL Chernyshov has proven he can be a force, scoring 66 points in 60 games over the last two years.

Chernyshov has been playing in Moscow dating back to his Under-15 days, and has come up through the ranks in the Dynamo Moscow system.

With Russia still being banned from IIHF competition, Chernyshov’s opportunity to play on a global scale has been minute. Over the past three seasons, he has been on Russia’s U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams.