The San Jose Sharks, an NHL club, exempted Russian defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov from the draft, a move reported by Elliott Friedman on X. The announcement signals that Knyzhov will remain with the Sharks unless another NHL team claims him within 24 hours, in which case his rights would transfer accordingly.
Aged 25, the defender has been part of the San Jose organization since 2019. He has appeared in 81 NHL games, recording 12 points with a 3-9 scoring line. Before joining the Sharks, Knyzhov spent three seasons in St. Petersburg, competing in the SKA organization, a familiar path for players rising through the Russian hockey system.
<pKnyzhov entered the 2019 NHL Entry Draft but went undrafted. Prior to the draft, various teams, including the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, expressed interest in his potential. On July 2, 2019, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with San Jose, valued at a total of $2.39 million, despite not being selected in the draft. The move marked a significant opportunity for him to prove his value in North American hockey while remaining under NHL contract with the Sharks.
On the ice this season, the Sharks sit near the bottom of the Pacific Division standings, holding 14 points after 24 games. The club continues to navigate a challenging start to the campaign, with goals for and against shaping how the coaching staff deploys its lineup and how the organization plans its future roster moves.
Off the ice, the hockey world has witnessed events that have stirred strong reactions, including brawls at NHL games that highlight the sport’s intensity and the passions of its participants and fans. These incidents underscore the high stakes for teams and players as they chase success in the league’s highly competitive environment. The broader context includes notable stories of player movement, development pipelines, and the evolving landscape of talent acquisition in North American hockey.