The San Jose Sharks will be without winger Igor Chernyshov for an extended stretch after he suffered an upper-body injury Thursday night against the Ottawa Senator, via Sharks insider Sheng Peng.
The 20-year-old left the ice in the first period after stepping in front of a slapshot from Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo, immediately favoring his left arm as he finished the shift and then headed to the dressing room.
Coach Ryan Warsofsky confirmed afterward that Chernyshov would be sidelined for “a while,” with a clearer timeline expected following further evaluation on Friday.
The injury comes during what had been shaping up as Chernyshov’s first full NHL season.
Selected 33rd overall by San Jose in the 2024 draft, he posted 19 points in 28 games last year, largely while skating with high-end talent such as Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, or William Eklund.
Through 10 games this season, he had two goals and two assists, along with modest physical numbers of four hits and six blocked shots, yet he continued to earn top-six minutes because of his fit alongside the club’s young core.
San Jose responded by elevating Collin Graf into Chernyshov’s top-line and power-play roles for the remainder of the 6-2 victory in Ottawa.
Graf responded with a goal and an assist while logging a season-high 19:32 of ice time, pushing his season total to three points in 11 games.
Last season, Graf broke out for 21 goals and 46 points in 81 games, establishing himself through relentless board work and the ability to generate offense in tight spaces.
Those attributes now give him a clear window to absorb larger minutes while Chernyshov is out.
The Sharks are expected to miss Chernyshov at least for Saturday’s road finale in Boston. Beyond that, the length of his absence remains uncertain; any placement on injured reserve would guarantee at least a week away.
In the interim, depth options such as Adam Gaudette and Ty Dellandrea figure to see increased roles, while Mason Marchment could shift back into the top six.
Chernyshov’s quiet early scoring had not diminished his value as a complementary piece, so his absence tests both the depth chart and the continuity of the lines that had been built around San Jose’s emerging stars.
Friday’s update will determine how long that test lasts.
