Sharks played ‘primitive’ hockey last season, per Alexander Barabanov

Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

This probably won’t be the last embarrassing story about the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks.

“The team played primitive hockey,” Alexander Barabanov told RG.org in Russian recently. “You run around without the puck and don’t understand why you need all this. We didn’t even try to keep the puck, play for your partner. It was the most simple hockey that kills the player in you.”

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It was that miserable a season for the Sharks: San Jose’s .287 Points % was the second-worst of the salary cap era.

Barabanov’s production rock-bottomed along with the San Jose Sharks’ fortunes. In his first three seasons in teal, since being acquired at the 2021 Trade Deadline from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Antti Suomela, KHL import Barabanov enjoyed a breakout, averaging 0.63 Points Per Game. But last year, the 30-year-old winger, heading to unrestricted free agency, put up just four goals and nine assists in 46 contests in an injury-riddled campaign.