The Sharks will welcome back one of their regular centers (and best trade chips) to their lineup tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that Nico Sturm has been activated off injured reserve. San Jose had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.
The 29-year-old has been out for a little more than a month due to a lower-body injury. So far this season, Sturm has been relatively quiet offensively, notching just 11 points in 41 games. After recording a career-high 26 points in his first season with San Jose, Sturm has only recorded 24 points in the two years since then combined.
However, he has won over 63% of his faceoffs, the second straight season over that mark. That will be particularly intriguing to quite a few contenders looking to shore up their center depth and help their fortunes at the dot as he is one of the top rentals available on the draw. The last time Sturm was in this situation back in 2022, he wound up being moved to Colorado and won a Stanley Cup with the Avs.
Sturm is in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $2MM price tag, a cap charge that a lot of playoff teams should be able to fit in. That’s particularly noteworthy since the Sharks have maxed out their retention slots so they are unable to pay down that cap charge. As long as Sturm can show that there are no lingering effects from the injury, he should have several trade suitors between now and the March 7th trade deadline.