Does this winger want to return to the Sharks? Not if it’s like this year

SAN JOSE The San Jose Sharks deduced winger Nikolai Kovalenko would be a part of their future when they acquired him as part of the pact that sent goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche in December But after a frustrating first sparse months in San Jose Kovalenko s outlook with the Sharks appears murky at best with the -year-old forward saying Thursday that he d like to be back with the crew but only if his usage changes and his playing time increases Between injuries and repeated healthy scratches including seven in a nine-game span from March to April Kovalenko had points in games with the Sharks as he was moved up and down and in and out of the lineup Since the commerce Kovalenko averaged in ice time with the Sharks ninth largest part among all forwards still with the organization The Sharks - - ended their season with a - loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and finished last in the NHL with points Kovalenko a pending restricted free agent revealed Thursday that two general managers from the Kontinental Hockey League where he spent five-plus seasons before coming to North America last April have already contacted him In a fresh interview with Russia Hockey Nikolai s father longtime NHL member Andrei Kovalenko revealed Overall there s discontent from Nikolai s side and that his son s agent was talking with his former KHL association Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod about a achievable return The website also announced that Andrei Kovalenko in the past few days met with Sharks general manager Mike Grier his former Oilers teammate Nikolai Kovalenko commented his dream is to play in the NHL On Thursday when the Sharks met as a company for the final time this season he was urged if he wants to stay with San Jose if he remains in the NHL I think it s a good question for Mike Grier not for me Kovalenko stated and if he would like me to stay we ll have a conversation about this If not OK we ll find just another association The Sharks need to issue a qualifying offer to Kovalenko by late June if they want to retain his rights If Kovalenko leaves for the KHL without a arrangement to another NHL squad the Sharks would still hold his NHL rights Does Kovalenko want to return to San Jose if Grier wants him back I think if it will be the same thing like this year obviously not Kovalenko noted referring to his playing time So maybe if something changed or something like that we can have this conversation Kovalenko missed games with the Sharks this season because of injury including nine straight games from Feb to March He returned to the lineup on March when the Sharks played the Avalanche in Denver and dressed for six of the next seven games Kovalenko was scratched for six straight games from March to April The scratches coincided with the arrival of forward prospect Cam Lund who signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks on March and made his NHL debut six days later Appealed about his message to Kovalenko Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky earlier this month reported I think every time you re on the ice if it s a practice if it s a morning skate that s your challenge You re invariably being evaluated Kovalenko played the season s final six games and saw increased ice time playing at times on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith In the final six games Kovalenko had a goal and two assists and averaged over minutes in ice time revealing that he can perhaps be an asset to the Sharks Sharks veteran center Alexander Wennberg saw Kovalenko s ability but noted that if someone wants to play more it must be on merit I feel like you kind of earn your ice time reported Wennberg who just finished his th NHL season Obviously everyone wants to play more but you ve got to leave it all out there I don t have any secret recipe for how you play more or not But if you look around the room there are so numerous talented players Everyone wants to play more Everyone wants to play the power play and all that So it comes down to you your work ethic and how much you want to do it and Kovalenko s doing a good job But obviously it s competitive Everyone here wants to do the same thing as well So the only thing you can do is try to be better than the guy next to you That helps everyone push to a higher level and helps the crew Related Articles Can Jimmy Butler fuel a Warriors playoff run like prior midseason acquisitions for Bay Area teams Sharks changes underway Goalie says Mike Grier described him he won t be back Sharks season ends with a whimper and with glaring areas of need Sharks AHL affiliate could be without key players for start of playoffs San Jose Sharks Logan Couture officially ends NHL playing career GEORGIEV GONE Alexandar Georgiev s time with the Sharks is ending with the goalie saying after Wednesday s competition that Grier explained him the gang is going in a different direction at the position Georgiev is in the final year of a three-year million contract he signed with Colorado in July and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent The Sharks acquired Georgiev Kovalenko and two draft picks in the Blackwood arrangement Georgiev went - - with an save percentage in games with the Sharks As a gang San Jose had the NHL s worst goals against average and third-worst save percentage only ahead of Buffalo and Philadelphia MUKHAMADULLIN UPDATE The Sharks revealed Thursday that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin had surgery last week to repair his left shoulder Mukhamadullin disclosed Thursday that he ll be ready for training camp in September