Sharks’ Mukhamadullin Ready To Find His Best With Orlov

After an injury ended his season early last year, San Jose Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin is healthy and ready to produce.

The 23-year-old is paired with fellow Russian Dmitry Orlov through the first three days of training camp. Having someone speak the same native language has been very beneficial for the Sharks’ d-man.

“It’s a big help for me, because my English is not 100% right now, it’s like 50%,” Mukhamadullin said. “It’s good for us if we play together and continue to play together because opponents won’t understand us [either]. That’s a good thing for us to have.”

Mukhamadullin’s English has gotten significantly better. The defenseman responded to questions quickly and clearly. While he still thinks it can be better, he clearly understands the English language very well.

Orlov is entering his 14th year in the NHL. The 34-year-old is someone whom Mukhamadullin watched growing up.

“I watched him when I was young, when he won the Stanley Cup. [I’m] happy to be on the same pair with him during camp,” Mukhamadullin explained. “He’s a big, experienced guy. I think I have the experience to play with him, too.”

Before he got injured, Mukhamadullin had been averaging big minutes for the San Jose Sharks. He played 20+ minutes in 11 of the 12 games before the injury. Despite that, Mukhamadullin still thinks he can find his best form.

“I don’t know what the best hockey is for me. I just play for the team, play strong on the defense,” Mukhamadullin said. “[The] coaches give me more ice time when I play good in the d-zone and play PK too.”

What has Mukhamadullin learned from Orlov?

The Sharks will likely deploy Orlov as the team’s No. 1 defenseman. While there will be other options for power plays, Orlov projects to be the leader in ice time among defensemen.

Orlov has been in every situation a defenseman can be in, including playing on the off side. Both Orlov and Mukhamadullin are left-handed, but Orlov has been playing the right. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Orlov did that with Carolina Hurricanes russian prospect Alexander Nikishin during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We’ll test it out and see. Orlov played with Nikishin when he came over at the end of the year in Carolina,” Warsofsky said.

Mukhamadullin played on the right side at times for the Sharks, particularly when paired with Mario Ferraro. But now Mukhamadullin can take knowledge more easily due to the language familiarity from Orlov.

“He plays without nerves,” Mukhamadullin said. That’s what I see, so I just try to watch him and follow him.”

The Sharks will play their first preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Warsofsky didn’t reveal any lineup decisions.

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