Confirmed with Link: Sharks sign G Alexei Melnichuk ELS 2x$925k

[LadyStanley]

Alexey Melnichuk (@alex_mel_1) • Instagram photos and videos

Looks like he's been wearing #1 in KHL.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[matt trick]

I'm pretty fired up about this! Any chance he's still growing?

 

[themelkman]

Just realized he was teammates with Nikolai Knyzhov before on the CKA junior team. That connection had to have helped a ton

 

[Kegsey]

Just realized he was teammates with Nikolai Knyzhov before on the CKA junior team. That connection had to have helped a ton

Nabby too. If he was a young fan during those seasons with Nabby, you’d have to assume he really looked up to him. Now he gets to train with him.

 

[Barrie22]

Nabby too. If he was a young fan during those seasons with Nabby, you’d have to assume he really looked up to him. Now he gets to train with him.

Well maybe.

 

[Anomie2029]

I'm really excited about this signing. He is obviously very young, but he has some great potential.

 

[LadyStanley]

Just realized he was teammates with Nikolai Knyzhov before on the CKA junior team. That connection had to have helped a ton

He also grew up liking the Sharks.

 

[themelkman]

He also grew up liking the Sharks.

He also played this year in the VHL with our prospect Timur Ibragimov who could be coming over this year.

 

[hohosaregood]

Kurz put out an article about the signing today. Seems like Nabby was pretty involved in this one.

 

[STL Shark]

Listened to the NHL fantasy hockey podcast and they sounded like they would be shocked if Melnichuk was not in the NHL to start the season more out of principle of how horrific the goaltending has been in SJ for the past two years. Not sure how much I believe of that, but I guess it depends on what the org does with the goaltending situation in the offseason with Dell/Jones.

Sharks Sign Goaltender Alexei Melnichuk

 

[Anomie2029]

Listened to the NHL fantasy hockey podcast and they sounded like they would be shocked if Melnichuk was not in the NHL to start the season more out of principle of how horrific the goaltending has been in SJ for the past two years. Not sure how much I believe of that, but I guess it depends on what the org does with the goaltending situation in the offseason with Dell/Jones.

Sharks Sign Goaltender Alexei Melnichuk

I wouldn't be 100% surprised if he starts in the back up position.

I think it's more likely that he starts in the AHL and is brought up during the season, but I think he sees decent amount of NHL time during the season.

 

[themelkman]

Listened to the NHL fantasy hockey podcast and they sounded like they would be shocked if Melnichuk was not in the NHL to start the season more out of principle of how horrific the goaltending has been in SJ for the past two years. Not sure how much I believe of that, but I guess it depends on what the org does with the goaltending situation in the offseason with Dell/Jones.

Sharks Sign Goaltender Alexei Melnichuk

Gotta remember he is only 21 and didnt play full time in the KHL either. I think its more likely he starts in the A and gets called up if we do awful or Jones is garbo again

 

[Desert Eagle]

I watched few interviews with him and he looks like pretty smart, modest and not selfish guy. His favorite lessons in school were mathematics and English so he probably will not have problems with communication (Knyzhov speaks English very good).
When journalist asked him with which NHL player he would like to have a dinner he named Brodeur, Nabokov, Hextall and Ovechkin.
I found in internet one very tragic story about him: in 2014 all his family got into a car accident. Alexei, his mom and grandmother stayed alive. His father, two sisters (one of them was a very promising 17 y/o sportsman too) and grandfather died. It’s horrible. He wasn’t broken after that and he deserves much respect for that.

 

[tiburon12]

I think it would be good for him to split time between AHL regular and SJ backup. See some NHL games, but play mostly in the AHL. He's young and has never played such a rigorous schedule.

This is the first time since Nabby that we have actually had a legit goalie prospect, yea?

 

[Harbessix]

This is the first time since Nabby that we have actually had a legit goalie prospect, yea?[/QUOTE]

I think Harri Sateri was pretty legitimate, maybe Bergvik to an extent…

 

[LadyStanley]

My guess is there won't be a summer prospect camp.

So, it'll be training camp that the organization looks at all their goalies and determine the depth chart.

Melnichuk needs to get used to the NHL rink size. So for that reason alone he may start in the AHL.

It could be that Korenar, Emond and Melnichuk rotate as the NHL backup. (I'd put Sawchenko in there as well, but as of today, he's on an AHL deal so would have to be upgraded to NHL deal before he could participate at the same.) Robinson is done with college, so he might be in the mix as well.

 

[Gecklund]

My guess is there won't be a summer prospect camp.

So, it'll be training camp that the organization looks at all their goalies and determine the depth chart.

Melnichuk needs to get used to the NHL rink size. So for that reason alone he may start in the AHL.

It could be that Korenar, Emond and Melnichuk rotate as the NHL backup. (I'd put Sawchenko in there as well, but as of today, he's on an AHL deal so would have to be upgraded to NHL deal before he could participate at the same.) Robinson is done with college, so he might be in the mix as well.

Since the season isn’t officially cancelled and by all accounts it sounds like the last few games will be played, I wonder if the Sharks go with a mostly prospect/earn your spot lineup. Maybe play only a few of Hertl, Couture, Timo, Kane, EK, Burns, Vlasic and give opportunities to the Ch-Twins, Merkley (if possible), Blichfield, the two guys they just signed, etc. I don’t know if this is even possible so this might be a useless post.

 

[STL Shark]

Since the season isn’t officially cancelled and by all accounts it sounds like the last few games will be played, I wonder if the Sharks go with a mostly prospect/earn your spot lineup. Maybe play only a few of Hertl, Couture, Timo, Kane, EK, Burns, Vlasic and give opportunities to the Ch-Twins, Merkley (if possible), Blichfield, the two guys they just signed, etc. I don’t know if this is even possible so this might be a useless post.

The Ch-twins have not even been above average AHL players (Chekhovich especially has been horrific) so not sure why they deserve any sort of a shot on an NHL team in the coming months. If the season comes back, they would give a look to Dahlen and Leonard probably but that would likely be it as it relates to prospects.

 

[Gecklund]

The Ch-twins have not even been above average AHL players (Chekhovich especially has been horrific) so not sure why they deserve any sort of a shot on an NHL team in the coming months. If the season comes back, they would give a look to Dahlen and Leonard probably but that would likely be it as it relates to prospects.

Looking at cap friendly, Leonard and the two recent signings can’t play no matter what because their contracts don’t start until next season it looks like. I think every prospect deserves a shot. Give em a game or two. They look good then give them more but if they don’t then send them back down. It’s not like either of our AHL or NHL team are any good this season.

 

[STL Shark]

Gotta remember he is only 21 and didnt play full time in the KHL either. I think its more likely he starts in the A and gets called up if we do awful or Jones is garbo again

I agree that is the preferred path, just saying what the league seems to think about him next season. I was surprised that they seemed so adamant about his being with the big club next year, but I guess it all depends what happens on the buyout and UFA front for that position.

 

[STL Shark]

Looking at cap friendly, Leonard and the two recent signings can’t play no matter what because their contracts don’t start until next season it looks like. I think every prospect deserves a shot. Give em a game or two. They look good then give them more but if they don’t then send them back down. It’s not like either of our AHL or NHL team are any good this season.

You earn your shot. No one "deserves" anything until they earn it. The Ch twins (collectively) were maybe the biggest disappointments in the entire organization this season (which says a lot given how crappy this team was this year). Giving them any NHL ice time this year is a total slap in the face to every other prospect in the system.

 

[Gecklund]

You earn your shot. No one "deserves" anything until they earn it. The Ch twins (collectively) were maybe the biggest disappointments in the entire organization this season (which says a lot given how crappy this team was this year). Giving them any NHL ice time this year is a total slap in the face to every other prospect in the system.

Not really when every other prospect with a possible NHL future is also getting a chance.

 

[STL Shark]

Not really when every other prospect with a possible NHL future is also getting a chance.

Except all of those guys had better seasons. Chekhovich has 12 points in 42 games. He doesn't even deserve to be skating with the Cuda with that stat line and should realistically be in the ECHL right now working on his game. You can maybe make a case for Chmelevski, but True, Letunov, Gregor, and others deserve that spot in the NHL lineup at center over him based on their play this season.

 

[Gecklund]

Except all of those guys had better seasons. Chekhovich has 12 points in 42 games. He doesn't even deserve to be skating with the Cuda with that stat line and should realistically be in the ECHL right now working on his game. You can maybe make a case for Chmelevski, but True, Letunov, Gregor, and others deserve that spot in the NHL lineup at center over him based on their play this season.

Again all of them will get their chance. Before quarantine and after are basically two separate seasons. Acting like everything will be exactly the same is just not a good plan. It’s basically preseason. These games mean nothing at all. Neither team is going to the playoffs. Both the NHL and AHL teams are going to be close to the bottom in standings.