Sharks’ Smith to return, but fellow forward questionable vs. Sabres
SAN JOSE – Will Smith will return to the San Jose Sharks’ lineup on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres but fellow forward William Eklund’s availability will be determined closer to game time, coach Ryan Warsofsky said.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Eklund was questionable for Saturday’s game, but Warsofsky said Eklund was not dealing with the same upper-body injury that kept him out of the Sharks’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 18.
Eklund, in just his second full NHL season, is the Sharks’ second-leading scorer with 16 points in 21 games and is second among all forwards in average time on ice (20:22). Used in all situations, Eklund has seven points in his last six games, as he, Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund have formed an effective forward line.
Smith was kept out of Thursday’s lineup in St. Louis as the Sharks gave the rookie forward his fifth development day of the season. The Sharks lost 3-2 to the Blues in a shootout and have points in nine of their last 13 games after an 0-7-2 start.
Mackenzie Blackwood will start Saturday’s game against the Sabres with Vitek Vanecek backing up. Vanecek has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury he sustained last Saturday in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins but did get on the ice before Wednesday’s game in Dallas.
Yaroslav Askarov will be a scratch for Saturday’s game, but the Sharks will keep three goalies on the roster for now. Askarov, recalled from the Barracuda on Monday, started Thursday’s game in St. Louis and stopped 29 of 31 shots. The Barracuda are in Toronto this weekend to face the Marlies.
Warsofsky said he’ll stay with the same defensemen he had for Thursday’s game, with Jack Thompson remaining in the lineup and Henry Thrun being a scratch for a second straight game.
Warsofsky said center Nico Sturm is getting “extremely close” to returning from an upper-body injury he sustained in the Sharks’ game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 14. Sturm was placed on injured reserve last Monday to create a roster spot for Askarov.
The Shark, including Saturday, play five times in eight days, They also face Los Angeles on Monday and Ottawa on Wednesday before a home-and-home series with the Seattle Kraken on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday’s Sharks game with the Sabres starts at 5 p.m., and Joe Thornton’s jersey retirement ceremony, where his No. 19 will be raised to the rafters at SAP Center, starts at 2:30 p.m.
Warosfsky said he has a plan to allow Sharks players to watch the ceremony while leaving enough time to get everybody physically and mentally ready to play.
The Sharks had the same experience in February 2023, when Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 was officially retired before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. San Jose lost that game 4-3 in a shootout.
Warsofsky wants to see an effort from this group on Saturday that’s commensurate with the occasion.
“It’s a chance for us to play with the building’s energy, and I think that’s important.,” Warsofsky said. “It’s a big night for this organization and Jumbo, his family, and everyone that’s played with him. We’ve got to put in a good performance, for sure.”
Warsofsky said Thornton is regularly around the Sharks’ practice facility, and the Sharks coach will often ask the future Hockey Hall of Famer about certain situations, particularly about what he sees with the power play.
“I’ve talked to him quite a bit about our team, our play, what he sees,” Warsofsky said. “He knows the game inside and out, so we’ve talked to him about the power play, we’ve talked to him about players. You’ve name it, we’ve gone to him with it.
“He’s on the ice at times. He’s watching from above with our practices. He’s been really influential, and not just for me and my coaches, but the players themselves.
“I grew up in Boston watching Jumbo when he first started his career. Coming out here and now working with him here a little bit, it’s been a real treat, just to get to learn from him.”