The San Jose Sharks’ line of Igor Chernyshov, Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli doesn’t jump out as the most natural fit at first glance. But the early returns have given the Sharks plenty to like.
It starts with speed, or at least the unusual blend of it. Chernyshov is one of the club’s quickest players even though he’s been below the 50th percentile in top speed during his NHL time.
He brings power with that speed, and at 6-foot-3 he can look like a bullet train when he gets moving. Misa adds another dynamic layer, while Toffoli, whose pace has clearly dipped with age, still found a way to make the trio click on Saturday.
That sequence was the kind of play that shows why the group works. Toffoli spotted Chernyshov and sent a breakout pass that let him split the defense and finish on a breakaway for his first goal of the season.
“I saw him waving his stick at me. So if I didn't give it to him, I think he was going to kill me,” Toffoli said of the play with a laugh.
It was just a kind of a broken play. Obviously he's an amazing skater, split the D and [had a] heck of a backhand."
Chernyshov had a simple response when asked about the pass.
"Great pass. I don't know what [else] I need to say here," Chernyshov said regarding Toffoli's breakout pass.
"Great pass. I think for him it's so easy."
After the game, Ryan Warsofsky explained why Toffoli has been such a useful partner for the two younger forwards. The Sharks coach pointed to Toffoli’s calmness with the puck, his ability to steady things in the defensive zone and his feel on the walls.
"Toff's got some composure with the puck, and that's that's what we like with with those guys," Warsofsky said. "He can help those young guys, especially in the defensive zone, understand where they need to be.
Toff's got some poise in the walls to make plays, understand what's going on. As a veteran guy that's been around a long time and seen winning hockey, we're trying to really kind of press our group on that."
That veteran presence matters. Toffoli is one of only three Sharks who have won a Stanley Cup, having done it 12 years ago with the Los Angeles Kings.
And while points don’t tell the whole story, they do reinforce the idea that this line has earned more runway. Two members of the trio are producing at or above a point-per-game pace to open the season, which is exactly the kind of start that makes it hard to tinker.
Warsofsky may catch some criticism for leaving the combination intact, but there’s a strong case for staying patient. The Sharks want wins this season, but development still matters, and Toffoli is giving Chernyshov and Misa a veteran guide who can help them along while the line keeps working.
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