As widely reported already, Sharks prospect Nikolay Goldobin is headed to HIFK in Liiga, the Finnish Elite League, for the season.
HIFK GM Tom Nybondas told me, in a quick e-mail exchange, he expects Goldobin to arrive to the team tomorrow (Wednesday) night and could play as early as Friday against TPS Turku depending on how the Sharks prospect feels after his travel to Finland.
When asked what his role would be for HIFK Nybondas told me this:
We certainly acknowledge his strengths and potential and his role will hopefully match that.
HIFK is prepared to play a careful development process with Goldobin and plans to let him adjust to the league before rushing him into any distinct role with the team.
“Usually it takes some time for new players to adapt to our league and style of play. We will be patient and give him all the time he needs. One has to remember that he is still young and this is a competitive and tough league… Nybonas says.
Goldobin is going to play in a higher calibre league than he would have in North America for what could be his only development season out of the NHL and the team in charge of his growth seems ready to do things the right way and not put too much on a young players plate.
Nybondas didn’t commit to any suggestions of ice-time, adding “time will tell… how much Goldobin will see the ice once he gets adjusted. The HIFK GM did say that the team was “excited to get him here and start working with him….
Goldobin is being given the same path that Tomas Hertl had after he was drafted: a year in a pro league to develop. If it works out as well it did with Hertl we could see a strong rookie campaign in ‘15-‘16 from the young Russian. For now it seems as though Goldobin is in good hands.
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The Sharks roster is set, with a little help from injuries. With Goodrow, Kennedy, Sheppard and Torres all shelved with various ailments, the Sharks roster is at 23 active players. Here they are:
Forwards (14)
Thornton, Pavelski, Hertl, Couture, Marleau, Nieto, Tierney, McGinn, Wingels, Desjardins, Burish, Brown, Hayes, Scott
Defense (7)
Vlasic, Braun, Burns, Mueller, Irwin, Demers, Hannan
Goalies (2)
Niemi, Stalock
With Goodrow having a spot locked down its likely there will be a player heading to the waiver wire within the week as the Sharks rookie is only expected to miss a few games. Things with the roster will get tricky when the remaining injured players return, though.
For now that’s how the Sharks will start the 2014-2015 season.
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