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 roster at the time of the trade deadline, which, this season, is March 8. 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..