San Jose Sharks sign third player from 2024 draft class

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks have signed another player from their 2024 draft class, inking Russian forward Igor Chernyshov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Chernyshov’s contract, per a source, carries a salary cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level. However, it remains undetermined whether Chernyshov, 18, will play professionally right away in the AHL with the Barracuda or join the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit, which holds his Canadian Hockey League rights.

Saginaw took Chernyshov 56th overall in the CHL Import Draft last month.

Chernyshov, listed at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds, was taken with the first pick of the second round, 33rd overall, by the Sharks last month. Chernyshov’s selection came a day after San Jose took center Macklin Celebrini first overall and defenseman Sam Dickinson at No. 11.

The Sharks have already signed Celebrini and Dickinson to entry-level contracts. Celebrini, who left Boston University after one season to turn pro, is expected to be in the NHL this season while Dickinson will likely be returned to the London Knights of the OHL.

Last season, Chernyshov split the 2023-24 season between Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and MHK Dynamo Moscow of the MHL. He had four points (three goals, one assist) in 34 KHL games and 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 22 MHL games.

Chernyshov, per Hockey News Hub, bought the last year of his contract from Dynamo Moscow and “terminated the agreement with the team on his own initiative.”

Chernyshov attended the Sharks’ development camp in early July, and the expectation is that he’ll be with the team in September for the rookie faceoff tournament in Los Angeles, followed by the start of training camp at Sharks Ice.

After he was drafted by San Jose, Chernyshov, through an interpreter, said that he is “a team guy, a leader, very hungry for the puck,” adding that he’s very confident that “in two to three years, I’ll be ready to play in the NHL” and do “everything possible to make that happen.”