Sharks Locker Room: What Makes Chernyshov-Celebrini-Smith Line Click?

Mar 30, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; during San Jose Sharks vs St Louis Blues at SAP Center. Photo: Sport Shots / Dean Tait Will the San Jose Sharks regret sending Igor Chernyshov down in mid-January? Based on Chernyshov’s impact on the Sharks this season, his immediate chemistry with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, and where San Jose is in the standings — just two points behind the Nashville Predators for the last wild card spot in the West, with two games in hand, after a thrilling 5-4 victory over the St.

Louis Blues on Monday — probably yes. For what it’s worth, there was never a sense that sending Igor Chernyshov down on Jan. 22 — after three goals and 11 points in his 15-game NHL debut — was punitive, at all.

From GM Mike Grier’s perspective, the San Jose Sharks had a glut of forwards then. Will Smith had just returned from injury, Philipp Kurashev was about to, and forwards like Jeff Skinner, Adam Gaudette, and Ryan Reaves were getting healthy scratched. Pavol Regenda’s January scoring binge and the acquisition of Kiefer Sherwood also added to a good Sharks’ problem.

“We’re getting healthy, so there will be, probably some more roster decisions to come in the next week to ten days,” Grier said then. But that said, even back then, Chernyshov seemed too good for the AHL, even if there was value in sending him back. The San Jose Barracuda, for example, used Chernyshov as a top penalty-killer, no doubt a worthwhile experience.