Nikolai Kovalenko’s father said his son isn’t happy with the San Jose Sharks and is considering other options.

“Overall, there’s discontent from his side,” Andrei Kovalenko told news site Russia Hockey, translated from Russian by San Jose Hockey Now’s Nikita Sokolov. “Nikolai’s agent is talking to Torpedo.”

Andrei has an interesting perspective: Not only is he Nikolai’s father, but he also met with former Edmonton Oilers teammate and current Sharks GM Mike Grier during a recent visit to North America.

Nikolai will be a restricted free agent this summer, but he used to play for KHL side Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, where he starred for multiple seasons.

What could be part of Kovalenko’s frustration?

Nikolai Kovalenko was a healthy scratch for six-straight games, beginning in late March.

“He’s obviously frustrated, but he’s just kind of confused,” Klim Kostin told SJHN then, translating for his fellow Russian.

Since the scratches, Kovalenko has had some success playing up with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, notching a goal and two assists in five games next to the Sharks’ young cornerstones.

But that doesn’t make up for what the Kovalenkos see as an unfulfilled season, the 25-year-old winger’s first in North America. The San Jose Sharks acquired Kovalenko from the Colorado Avalanche in December in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade.

Andrei elaborated: “It was understandable when Nikolai, in the first half of the season, played on the third line in Colorado, because that club is a championship contender, the competition on the top lines is extremely high. The situation in San Jose, with all respect, is different. It’s obvious there’s personal [bias] from the coach [Ryan Warsofsky] – and there’s no alignment with the [direction] of the management. Watch the Sharks’ games – and you’ll see who deserves what.”

He also noted that Kostin is another talented player who has not been given a lot of ice-time.

Ryan Warsofsky denied allegations earlier this season that he held any bias against Russian players.

Kovalenko has three goals and 12 points in 28 games with San Jose, playing 12:34 a night; he had four goals and eight points in 24 games with Colorado, playing 12:00 a night.

At the end of the day though, Andrei said it would be his son who makes the final decision on whether to return to Russia: “[He] can ask me or the agent for advice, but he makes the decisions.”