SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks were pleased to acquire Zack Ostapchuk from the Ottawa Senators last week, feeling the towering 21-year-old forward can bring a unique and valuable skillset to the team long-term.
Noah Gregor, the other forward the Sharks received in the stunning trade deadline day swap that sent Fabian Zetterlund to the Senators, also made it clear he wants to be part of San Jose’s future as he begins his second stint with the organization.
“This is a team that wants to go in the right direction, obviously, being in a rebuild here,” Gregor, 26, said Thursday. “Some great pieces coming up, so you should want to be a part of that, and I definitely do.”
After waiting a few days for his work visa situation to be resolved, Gregor played his first game with the Sharks in just over two years Thursday as San Jose faced the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center.
Gregor, once again set to become a restricted free agent this summer, has about five weeks to show that he fits in with the Sharks’ long-term outlook. As of now, the Sharks have 10 forwards on their active roster signed for next season.
Given what he’s experienced in the last two seasons, Gregor is used to having to prove that he belongs.
Gregor, a fourth-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2016, had what he felt was a strong finish to the 2022-2023 season in San Jose, playing on a one-year contract. However, as a pending RFA, the Beaumont, Alberta native suddenly found himself unemployed after not being issued a qualifying offer by Sharks general manager Mike Grier, who was in his first year in the position.
Since then, Gregor has only become more familiar with perhaps the less glamorous side of the sport.
After leaving San Jose, he signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs after being brought in on a professional tryout. However, the Leafs did not qualify him, so Gregor became a free agent again and signed with the Ottawa Senators in July, again for one year.
After scoring six points in 40 games for the Senators, Gregor then experienced being traded for the first time in his career. Not expecting to be dealt, Gregor was at home relaxing when he got the call that he was being moved back to San Jose.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot of it now,” Gregor said of the business side. “Going on a PTO, and then signing as a free agent with Ottawa, now getting traded for the first time. So I’ve seen a lot of it here in the past two years.”
Asked what he took away from playing with Auston Matthews in Toronto and Brady Tkachuk on Ottawa, Gregor said, “Just kind of the way they go about their game. You see it in practice, the skill and their ability to play the game at such a high level, it’s a lot different than most players I’ve ever played with. But those guys, just their habits are incredible.
“Matthews is one of the hardest working guys I’ve had the chance to play with. He’s always working on his craft. He’s always taking care of his body, doing the right thing.”
With Gregor back playing games, it’s still unclear if Ostapchuk’s own visa issues have been resolved and when he will play his first game in the Sharks organization. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky did not know and a message left with Grier was not returned.
Ostapchuk, listed at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, was in San Jose earlier this week and is on the Barracuda’s roster. But it was not immediately known if he would be able to play for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate this weekend when they travel to play Tucson on Saturday and Sunday.
The Sharks received Ostapchuk, Gregor, and a 2025 second-round draft pick from the Senators in exchange for Zetterlund, AHL forward Tristen Robins, and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Grier feels Ostapchuk, with his size and toughness, gives the Sharks something they do not already have in their pool of young forwards. Ostapchuk has five fights between the NHL and AHL in two years and also dropped New York Rangers tough guy Matt Rempe in a fight when they were both in the WHL.
“We played together quite a bit in Ottawa when he was up,” Gregor said of Ostapchuk. “Just a big, strong centerman that can skate. A lot of teams want the size and speed that he has. He’s been able to scrap a couple times in his career, so that obviously helps.
“When he gets in, just expect a physical player that’s got some speed and he’s been able to score throughout his career. Once that kid’s clicking, he’s going to be a really good player.”
ROMANOV PLAN?: Goalie Alexandar Georgiev started his sixth straight game for the Sharks on Thursday, meaning backup goalie Georgi Romanov’s first NHL start will have to come another day. Romanov played in two NHL games for the Sharks at the end of last season, but both came in relief appearances.
Warsofsky made no declarations about when or if the 6-foot-5 Romanov would start with the Sharks. With Yaroslav Askarov injured, Romanov has been practicing with the Sharks since late last week, when he was recalled from the Barracuda after Vitek Vanecek was traded to the Florida Panthers.
The Sharks host the Washington Capitals on Saturday and have games next week against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and the Boston Bruins on March 22.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Warsofsky said when asked if Romanov will play an NHL game. “We like his talent, his size, he’s improved a lot, I’d say, in the last year and a half. So we’ll see how it plays out.”