The 2024-25 season should be exciting for the San Jose Sharks, even if they’re not expected to be anywhere near the playoff picture. They have the first overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft, and assuming they pick Macklin Celebrini, he could make the jump to the NHL immediately.
Will Smith, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, could join the team as well. There are no guarantees that they will be wearing teal to start the season, but Shakir Mukhamadullin, who made his NHL debut this season, should be in the opening-night lineup.
Mukhamadullin’s 2023-24 Season
In his first full season in North America, Mukhamadullin spent most of his time with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) and performed phenomenally. He was named an AHL All-Star and represented the Barracuda, who hosted the event. He led the team’s defensemen in scoring by quite a margin, with 34 points in 55 games, following up his impressive 12-game stint the season before when he had ten points.
Mukhamadullin also had a short three-game run in the NHL this season, making his debut on Jan. 27 against the Buffalo Sabres. In his final game of the campaign, he recorded his first NHL point, an assist, against the Anaheim Ducks. Although the stint wasn’t lengthy, he impressed not only the coaching staff but also his teammates.
Unfortunately, the impression he left on head coach David Quinn won’t help him much since he was relieved of his duties recently. That said, there’s no doubt that the new head coach, whoever that may be, will feel the same way that Quinn did. Mukhamadullin is a special player, and Sharks fans got a small taste of that during the 2023-24 season.
Mukhamadullin’s Wide-Open Opportunity
The Sharks’ defense is a bit of a mess. Henry Thrun and Ty Emberson finished their rookie seasons, and although they both played well, they don’t have the same sky-high ceiling as Mukhamadullin. Emberson, in particular, is a stay-at-home defenseman, which is important, and his presence would complement the Russian defender, who has offensive skill.
Besides them, Mario Ferraro had a strange season – it was very good in some regards but also one of his worst in others. Without Erik Karlsson, the organization attempted to use him in a more offensive role, which resulted in several defensive mistakes. Jan Rutta, Kyle Burroughs, and even the injured Matt Benning could theoretically be traded in the offseason, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s best years are behind him – it’s hard to argue he deserves to be in the lineup on a nightly basis at this point. Jacob MacDonald and Calen Addison are decent depth options, but neither showed they have what it takes to be a full-time NHL player.
To put it bluntly, Mukhamadullin is better than half the defensemen who took the ice for the Sharks this season, and he’s only 22 years old. He isn’t necessarily too good to be playing in the AHL – there are a few things he could still learn at that level – however, he deserves a spot on the NHL roster more than others who were ahead of him on the depth chart. Last season, Sharks fans saw the rise of players like William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund, while Collin Graf and Jack Thompson earned some playing time at the end of the season.
Related: Sharks 2023-24 Player Grades: William Eklund
If he’s given a chance, Mukhamadullin seems ready to make an impact in 2024-25. While it’ll likely be remembered as the season Celebrini emerges, if he turns professional, he wouldn’t be alone in that regard. It could and likely should also be the rise of Mukhamadullin.
