Greg Powers might be a bit biased. But the Arizona State hockey coach didn’t hesitate Wednesday when asked how close defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk might be to playing in the NHL.
“I think he’s ready,” Powers said of Pasichnuk, 22, who earlier this week agreed to terms with the Sharks.
“Seeing kids that we played against that are playing at that level on an everyday basis that in my opinion didn’t have half the impact in college hockey that he did for us.”
There’s no question Pasichnuk made a lasting mark in Tempe, helping what was a fledgling Division I program in 2016 become one that finished this year ranked 13th in the country.
Now it’s a matter of what kind of impact he’ll have as a professional. He’s thickly built at 5-foot-10 and just over 200 pounds, so size isn’t necessarily an issue, and Powers noted Pasichnuk’s compete level and defensive awareness, as he played 28 to 30 minutes per game at ASU.
Still, there appears to be some question about his skating, and how that might hinder how he plays with the puck on his stick when he has less time and space to operate.
“It’s a huge step to the pro level,” Pasichnuk said. “I am a confident guy but by no means a cocky guy. I hope I can bring my style of game to their organization.
“But it is a big jump, so it’s going to take some adjusting. Learning how to be more sound defensively and you do have less time to make decisions. I really hope I can continue to get better on defense and being a great first pass defenseman and still being confident on the offensive blue line to do the odd spin-o-rama.”
Pasichnuk is waiting to see how the rest of the NHL season unfolds before he officially signs a two-year entry level contract.
If the league is able to resume the 2019-2020 regular season, he’ll sign then to burn a year off his deal. If the NHL, which paused its season March 12, is not able to resume, he’ll sign once that decision by the league becomes official.
Pasichnuk, who attended San Jose’s 2019 development camp and has had a relationship with the team for about 14 months, said the Sharks offered him a contract last year.
He said, though, he wanted to return to the Sun Devils to be with his new wife, Halle — who also attended ASU — finish his degree, continue to play with his brother, Steenn, and make a run at an NCAA title.
“They gave me their word that they weren’t going anywhere even if I was going back for my senior year,” Pasichnuk said of the Sharks. “They truly showed they treated me with the utmost respect. When me, my wife and my family made the decision to go to San Jose, it was one of the most exciting days of our lives.”
Pasichnuk said the Sharks made a positive impression on him, as he met members of the team’s front office and then-assistant coach Bob Boughner.
Pasichnuk said there were other teams in the mix for his services, including the New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers. But the Sharks were always among the front runners.
“The biggest thing that really drew me to San Jose was just the character of their management and their coaches,” Pasichnuk said. “They’re truly unbelievable human beings and they really got to know me away from the rink, not just at the rink.
“That was huge for me. That just showed that they truly do care about their players.”
Pasichnuk also liked how the AHL and NHL teams were in the same city, allowing he and his wife to find a place to live right away.
“It’s definitely a huge advantage to make sure we’re in the same city no matter what happens,” Pasichnuk said.
The Sharks already have several left shot defensemen with at least some NHL experience, including mainstays Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Radim Simek and now-rookie Mario Ferraro. The Sharks did play four left shot defensemen for most of the season, with Ferraro often playing on the right side.
If the Sharks stay with four left shot defensemen, that would at least open the door for Pasichnuk to play in the NHL at some point this or next season. Otherwise he will probably be better served spending time in the AHL with the Barracuda.
“You have to look at their depth chart, left shot d-men and right shot d-men. Future draft picks and all of that stuff,” Pasichnuk said. “At the end of the day, it was just (about) how much character San Jose had. I really feel like there’s a great opportunity there to hopefully get some NHL experience.”
“I think he’s physically ready,” Powers said. “He’s going to be able to skate at that level and I believe defend at that level because of his compete level and just the natural physical ability that he has.”
