Ex-Sharks forward, now in Russia, garners interest from NHL teams

NHL teams have expressed interest in acquiring forward Sasha Chmelevski from the San Jose Sharks, a source confirmed, although the forward would not be free to play again in North America until next season.

Chmelevski, 24, is in his second year with Salavat Yulayev-Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League and has 91 points in 116 games over two seasons.

Chmelevski, drafted in the sixth round by San Jose in 2017, played in the Sharks organization for three seasons from 2019-2022 before he opted to move to Russia and join Salavat Yulayev as a restricted free agent. The Sharks still own his NHL rights.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Saturday that there was “high interest” from NHL teams in acquiring Chmelevski, adding that his representation has been granted permission by the Sharks to speak with other clubs about acquiring the Southern California native.

Chmelevski’s contract with Salavat Yulayev does not expire until May 1 and to be eligible for the NHL playoffs, a player has to be on a team’s reserve list at the time of the trade deadline, which, this season, is March 8.

**Breaking News **

The @SanJoseSharks currently hold his rights, there’s high interest from @NHL teams in trading to sign Sasha Chmelevski. He’s been one of the  top players in the KHL for the last 2 seasons, and his representation has been granted permission to engage… pic.twitter.com/qcWZSX6Px1

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) January 13, 2024

The 6-foot, 185-pound Chmelevski had 10 points in 24 games with the Sharks over two seasons, and 88 points in 122 games with the Barracuda over three-plus seasons.

Chmelevski was given a qualifying offer by the Sharks after his entry-level contract expired in 2022, but he was going to have to compete to earn a spot on the Sharks’ 23-man roster in that fall’s training camp. At that point, the Sharks had already added to their forward depth by signing center Nico Sturm as a free agent and acquiring Luke Kunin and Steven Lorentz via trade.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said then that he spoke the with player’s representative and told him what the club was willing to do on an ensuing deal. After that, Grier said, Chmelevski “thought it would be best for him to go play in Europe.”

“I have to decide what’s best for the organization and on the other side, the agent is trying to do what’s best for his client,” Grier said in 2022.