The Sharks announced Monday they’ve placed defenseman Vincent Desharnais on injured reserve and recalled winger Pavol Regenda from AHL San Jose in a corresponding move. Their active roster remains full.
Desharnais comes off the roster after sitting out the last two games with an upper-body injury. His IR placement is retroactive to his last appearance on Nov. 26. He’s been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Mammoth but will technically be eligible to be reinstated ahead of Wednesday’s contest against the Capitals. Whether he will remains to be seen; the Sharks haven’t handed down a timeline for his return.
The 29-year-old stay-at-home righty is arguably having the best season of his four-year NHL career. He’s only got two assists through 20 games but has been San Jose’s second-best shutdown defender behind Mario Ferraro, posting a +1 rating and a 2.12 GA/60 at 5-on-5. That second mark is third-best on the team overall among qualified skaters. He also ranks sixth in shots against per 60 (29.17), fourth in expected goals against per 60 (2.45), and second in scoring chances against per 60 (25.17).
Desharnais features alongside Ferraro on the Sharks’ top penalty kill and has spent most of his time at even-strength in third-pairing duties sheltering rookie Sam Dickinson. They’ve been the Sharks’ best pairing at controlling expected goals with a 56.9 xGF% at 5-on-5. He’s a notable loss if he’s to miss significant time, particularly as the Sharks have cooled off to the tune of a 4-5-0 record in their last nine games.
Regenda comes up to ensure the Sharks have 12 forwards for tonight against Utah. He could make his Sharks debut if Adam Gaudette, who Max Miller of NHL.com reports is questionable due to illness, can’t go. Regenda, 26 next week, was acquired from the Ducks in exchange for Justin Bailey midway through last season but played out the year in the AHL after his pickup. Anaheim initially brought him over as an undrafted free agent out of Slovakia in 2022 and, while he could have tested Group VI unrestricted free agency last summer, opted to return to San Jose on a two-way deal.
Since being acquired by the Sharks, the 6’4″, 212-lb Regenda has a 12-20–32 scoring line in 55 AHL appearances, including seven points in 19 games this year. He has 19 games of NHL experience, all with Anaheim, but hasn’t seen the top level since March 2024. He has one career goal with a pair of assists alongside a -4 rating. He’s not much more than a fourth-line plug-in call-up option but provides a physical edge should the Sharks need one.