Rangers Claim Vincent Iorio Off Waivers From Sharks, Assign Brett Berard To AHL
After moving out Carson Soucy earlier this week, the Rangers have added some young defensive depth. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that New York has claimed defenceman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the Sharks. To make room on the roster, the Rangers announced (Twitter link) that forward Brett Berard has been sent down to AHL Hartford.
The 23-year-old started the season as a depth defenseman with Washington, the team he was originally drafted by in the second round back in 2021. After playing primarily at the AHL level over his first three seasons (with a total of nine NHL appearances during that time), the Capitals rostered him to start this year in a reserve role, worried about losing him on waivers. Sure enough, that’s what happened soon after as San Jose scooped him up in mid-October amidst some injuries to their back end.
Iorio was in and out of the lineup with the Sharks. He played regularly after being claimed but after a couple of weeks, he was in the press box. Eventually, he agreed to a conditioning stint in the minors with the Barracuda and was productive, tallying seven assists in just six games with them. Upon being recalled in late November, Iorio returned to somewhat of a regular role until recently as he has been scratched for the last two weeks. Overall, Iorio has played in 21 games this season with San Jose, notching three assists and 32 blocked shots while averaging 16:30 per night of playing time.
While the Sharks likely would have liked to have kept Iorio around, a roster crunch forced their hand. With the pending returns of Philipp Kurashev and Shakir Mukhamadullin today following their IR activations per a team announcement (plus Kiefer Sherwood not too far behind), San Jose needed a roster spot and Iorio was the one who lost his. Once Sherwood is activated, another spot will need to be cleared up as well.
Meanwhile, with the Rangers embarking on some form of retool in the coming weeks, they will be moving out more pieces before the trade deadline in March. This claim will allow them to get a look at a young defender in Iorio to assess if he can be part of their plans moving forward while also giving them insurance should any other blueliners be moved. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract, one that carries a cap hit of just over $814K, and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
As for Berard, he was only recalled on Tuesday and got into one game while up with the big club, bringing his season total to 13. He’s still looking for his first point of the season, however. The 23-year-old has six goals and a dozen assists in 30 games with the Wolf Pack and will get a chance to return to a bigger role with them after averaging just 10:33 per night with the Rangers.
West Notes: Landeskog, Mukhamadullin, Kurashev, Skinner
Already missing Leo Carlsson and Jonas Brodin, Sweden’s Olympic team could be missing another key piece with Gabriel Landeskog’s availability also in question. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link) that the veteran is getting better as he works his way back from an upper-body injury that has held him out for the last three weeks. He added that Landeskog is targeting a return in time for the Olympics but that it’s going to be tight in terms of reaching that timeline. In his first regular season action since the 2021-22 campaign, Landeskog has done alright, picking up seven goals and 15 assists in 41 games while averaging 15:51 per night of playing time.
Elsewhere out West:
- Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury for the past three weeks. But the countdown could be coming to an end as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner could be available to return on Tuesday against Vancouver. The 24-year-old has had a fairly quiet season, only playing in 23 games between injuries and healthy scratches. In those outings, Mukhamadullin has six points and 27 blocked shots while averaging 16:26 per game, the lowest ATOI of his young career. He joins Kiefer Sherwood as players hoping to be available for Tuesday’s contest.
- Meanwhile, Sharks winger Philipp Kurashev is expected to return by the end of the Sharks’ road trip which coincides with the beginning of the Olympic break, mentions Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). He has missed the last six weeks with an upper-body injury of his own. Before that, Kurashev was in the middle of a bounce-back season as a capable secondary scorer for San Jose, notching six goals and nine assists in 31 games before the injury.
- With Mukhamadullin, Sherwood, and Kurashev due back soon and only one open roster spot, a crunch is coming for the Sharks. Veteran Jeff Skinner has played sparingly as of late and could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot when those players return. To that end, Pashelka notes (Twitter link) that while Skinner is aware of the roster situation, he hasn’t requested a trade at this point. The 33-year-old is on a one-year, $3MM contract but has just 13 points in 32 games this season and is averaging a career-low 12:21 per game.
Sharks Issue Injury Updates On Four Players
The San Jose Sharks have sorted out their injuries ahead of a four-game road-trip through the Eastern Conference. Winger Philipp Kurashev will not join the team on the trip, but could return at the tail-end, if he is able to recover from an upper-body injury sustained on December 13th. He was deemed week-to-week at the time. San Jose will have defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Vincent Desharnais on the trip after both recovered from upper-body injuries. Finally, top forward Will Smith will be questionable for Thursday’s game against the Washington Capitals pending a return to full-contact practices. All updates were captured by NHL.com’s Max Miller.
Kurashev will continue to sit out of the lineup for at least a couple more games. He has already missed San Jose’s last 12 games, on top of a brief two-game absence in October. Kurashev was among San Jose’s hottest players through the turn into November. He racked up 11 points in 13 games between October 26th and November 20th – enough to earn top-six minutes through mutliple games. He cooled off significantly in the time since, with only three points in his next 12 games before going down to injury. Returning soon would give the Swiss winger a chance to get his legs back under him before going off to join Team Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It will be Kurashev’s first Olympic games, though he has notched 15 points in 32 World Championship games, across four appearances. Kurashev will slot into San Jose’s bottom-six when he’s healthy enough to return.
The Sharks will have two more options on defense through their next stretch. Desharnais has been out since late November but returned to practice on January 4th. He has served as one of many veteran bruisers and fighters on the Sharks lineup and should maintain a low-usage role if slotted back into the lineup. Mukhamadullin will be a more interesting watch, after missing the last four games. The 24 year old was continuing to struggle in his depth role prior to his injury. He posted no scoring and a minus-six in his last five games, bringing his year long totals to six points and a minus-four in 23 games. A return to the lineup would be a chance to continue earning minutes on an increasingly-crowded Sharks blue-line.
Smith will bring the most excitement back to the lineup. The 20 year old hasn’t played since sustaining an injury on December 13th. He has been skating on the side and didn’t rejoin San Jose’s team practices until last Friday. The Sharks will certainly want to ensure Smith is back to 100 percent before slotting him into the lineup – but his impact will be hard to wait for. Smith has 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season, good for fourth on the team in scoring despite missing the last 12 games. He has proven a dynamic and capable driver of the offense, able to play with or behind star center Macklin Celebrini.
The Sharks have seen the emergence of rookie Igor Chernyshov – who has nine points in his first 12 NHL games – since Smith’s injury. That will bring up some interesting questions as the Sharks juggle young players at the top of their lineup. Smith should return next to Alexander Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli, which would push Pavel Regenda back into the bottom-six. When those changes will occur will depend on how soon Smith can return to full-contact practice.
San Jose Sharks Place Shakir Mukhamadullin On IR, Recall Michael Misa
The San Jose Sharks announced today that forward Michael Misa has been recalled from the Canadian National Junior Team. In a corresponding move, the club placed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin on injured reserve.
Mukhamadullin left San Jose’s Jan. 3 contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an injury. His placement on IR means he’ll miss at least a week with his injury, and the Sharks have not announced a more specific recovery timeline for the Russian blueliner. Mukhamadullin is averaging 16:26 time on ice per game this season including 1:26 per game on the penalty kill. He has six points through 23 games and is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
Replacing Mukhamadullin on the active roster is Misa, fresh off of winning a bronze medal with Canada at the World Junior Championships in Minnesota. The No. 2 pick at the 2025 draft, Misa scored three points in seven games for the Sharks after breaking camp with the team, but found himself outside of the regular lineup looking in. In a situation not entirely unlike 2022 No. 4 pick Shane Wright‘s rookie season with the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23, Misa was able to be reassigned to the AHL on a conditioning loan before his loan to Team Canada. Misa scored one point in two AHL contests.
The talented 18-year-old scorer re-enters the Sharks’ pro ranks after an uneven World Juniors tournament. While his on-paper numbers were acceptable (seven points in seven games), five of those seven points came in blowout victories over Denmark and Slovakia, respectively, games in which Canada was never in much true danger of losing. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler wrote today that Misa “didn’t meet expectations” at the tournament and “never quite came up big in a big moment for Canada.” Misa’s performance in Canada’s semifinal loss to Czechia generated some criticism, with The Athletic’s Corey Pronman writing in the aftermath “it’s reasonable to be concerned about how much [Misa] has disappeared in big games.”
Thankfully for Misa, the way the Sharks are playing right now could give him the opportunity to play in some more “big games” before the season is over. In the past few seasons, the Sharks would be in the NHL’s basement at this point, with virtually no chance of seriously competing for the playoffs in the spring. But thanks in large part to a stellar sophomore season from Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, just two points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second Wild Card playoff spot.
Snapshots: Schwartz, Toews, Sharks
A long awaited return could be coming soon, as Seattle forward Jaden Schwartz was a full practice participant donning a no-contact jersey, as reported by Sound Of Hockey. The veteran hasn’t played since late November, in week five of his initial six-week expected absence.
Schwartz suffered a lower-body injury against Dallas on November 26. Despite struggling to create offense, currently last in the league in that category, Seattle holds a Wild Card spot, and has stayed afloat without their key forward. A pending UFA in the final year of his five year deal worth $5.5MM per season, on paper the 33-year-old could be a trade candidate. However, especially given their status in the playoff mix, it is thought that the Kraken would like to retain Schwartz into the twilight years of his career as a leader on a young forward core, with a Stanley Cup under his belt.
Unfortunately, Schwartz is no stranger to injuries throughout his career, as the 15 year veteran has not reached the 82 game mark, coming up one game short in 2024-25. Yet when healthy, he remains productive, with 15 points in 23 games this season. The small sample size is on pace for his best season with Seattle. A return by tomorrow’s game is unlikely, but Schwartz could return by later in the week.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Colorado defenseman Devon Toews is out tonight due to an upper-body injury, as reported by Corey Masisak of The Denver Post. While it is not officially connected, the ailment is likely related to Saturday, when Toews fell awkwardly into the boards. He was able to finish the game, but now, has missed his first of the campaign. The 31-year-old’s offensive output has taken a step back this season, with 13 points in 40 games, below his usual 50-point pace. Yet he and Cale Makar complement each other perfectly, forming one of the very best pairings in the league on both ends of the ice. Toews could return as soon as Tuesday, as the Avs travel to Tampa Bay.
- Two San Jose defensemen were absent from practice today, John Klingberg and Shakir Mukhamadullin, as shared by Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Klingberg was out of yesterday’s game, and the top defender was sorely missed as the club lost 7-3 to Tampa Bay. The veteran is dealing with a lower-body injury, and based on today’s news, he could return sometime later in the week. Overcoming major injury concerns in the past, Klingberg has enjoyed a resurgence with San Jose, eating minutes on the top pairing and helping the team show real promise. On the other hand, Mukhamadullin left yesterday’s game after just five minutes of ice time due to injury. Veteran Nick Leddy could return to the lineup Tuesday if neither are able to return, having not played since December 23.
West Injury Notes: Avalanche, Klingberg, Mukhamadullin
Much like he did a few days ago ahead of their road trip through the southeast, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided a few more injury updates this afternoon. Provided by Corey Misiak of The Denver Post, Bednar said that the team is expecting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood and forward Joel Kiviranta to return after the trip.
Additionally, on the positive side of the update, Bedar indicated that although he won’t play tonight, forward Gavin Brindley may return as early as tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. Both Kiviranta and Brindley are dealing with lower-body injuries, though neither is expected to miss too much time.
The news is also good regarding Blackwood. The Avalanche did not initially provide a timeline for his recovery, so a few days missed should not significantly impact their chances on the three-game road trip. Bednar mentioned to Misiak that Blackwood’s injury was discovered at the team’s practice on Thursday.
Other injury notes from the Western Conference:
- The San Jose Sharks were missing blueliner John Klingberg in their blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning today. Before the game, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now shared that Klingberg is dealing with a lower-body issue. The Sharks could have used Klingberg’s offensive capabilities today, as he’s scored nine goals and 16 points in his first 31 games with the club.
- Outside of Klingberg, the Sharks are dealing with another injured defenseman from today’s game. Shortly before the start of the third period, San Jose shared that Shakir Mukhamadullin has exited the game due to injury, without specifying if it was a lower or upper-body issue. The 23-year-old defenseman skated in 5:33 of today’s contest, earning a -3 rating with one blocked shot.
Evening Notes: Hutson, Plante, Sherwood, Leddy
Washington Capitals defense prospect Cole Hutson and Detroit Red Wings prospect Max Plante are both dealing with day-to-day injuries with Team USA at the 2026 World Junior Championship per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Hutson was injuried when a stray puck hit him in the back of the head in Saturday’s game against Switzerland. It was a scary moment that ended with Hutson being carted off the ice and transported to the hospital. Luckily, he left the hospital later that night avoided the worst case scenario. He returned to Team USA’s practice on Monday morning.
Plante hasn’t yet returned to practice after sustaining an injury in the second period of Monday’s game against Slovakia.
Both players sat out of USA’s Wednesday matchup against Team Sweden. The Americans lost that matchup 3-6. Hutson led the 2025 World Juniors in scoring with 11 points in seven games. Plante led the NCAA in scoring before leaving for this tournament. He has 30 points in 20 games. The two are major pillars of the American lineup. Their day-to-day status will be a silver lining as the Americans eye a tough elimination round.
Other notes from around the league:
- The San Jose Sharks have expressed interest in Vancouver Canucks scorer Kiefer Sherwood per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in a recent interview on the FAN Hockey Show. The 30-year-old winger would be an interesting buy for a Sharks club well outside of playoff contention. He has offered Vancouver a unique mix of goal-scoring and heavy-hitting. Sherwood recorded 19 goals, 40 points, and an NHL record 462 hits in 78 games last season. He is continuing in that line this year, with 16 goals and 184 hits in only 39 games. Those numbers put him on pace for 34 goals and 387 hits in 82 games this season. Bringing in that impact could help San Jose protect their young stars and add a bit more veteran shooting to the mix as they eye cheap additions to the lineup.
- Sticking in San Jose, young defender Shakir Mukhamadullin rotated back into the lineup for Nick Leddy in Wednesday’s shootout win over the Minnesota Wild per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. He recorded two shots on goal and no points. The Sharks have rotated between the two defenders over their recent stretch. Mukhamadullin has managed six points, 10 hits, and 21 shot blocks in 21 games. Leddy has three assists and 20 shot blocks in 15 games. The two will continue rotating while San Jose waits on Timothy Liljegren‘s nearing return.
San Jose Sharks Injury Updates
Ahead of tomorrow’s matchup against the Minnesota Wild, the head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Ryan Warsofsky, issued a multitude of injury updates. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many positive updates.
Regarding the forward core, and likely the most optimistic of all the updates, Warsofsky relayed to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that both Philipp Kurashev (upper body) and Will Smith (undisclosed) skated this morning. Additional reporting suggests that they skated before the team’s full practice, and they’re still both considered week-to-week.
Warsofsky also shared with Pashelka that Adam Gaudette is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, which explains Pavol Regenda‘s recall earlier today. Still, the impact of being without Kurashev and Smith for the next few weeks can’t be overstated. Despite being out since December 13th, the latter remains the second-highest scorer in San Jose with 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games. Kurashev is ninth with 15 points in 31 contests.
Furthermore, the Sharks will be playing with a banged-up defensive core, too. Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest reported that Timothy Liljegren will not suit up against the Wild tomorrow and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The former 17th overall pick has not played since December 18th and has registered four assists in 28 games this season while averaging over 20 minutes per night.
Additionally, the team doesn’t expect Vincent Desharnais to return anytime soon. Miller added in the same report that Desharnais is still considered week-to-week, which could push his games lost past 20. Desharnais, who, like Liljegren, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, has only appeared in 20 games for San Jose this season.
The only injured member of the team’s defense that hasn’t been ruled out tomorrow is Shakir Mukhamadullin. Still, Pashelka noted that Mukhamadullin is questionable, meaning the Sharks could be down to six healthy blue liners. Fortunately, their only away game until January 15th is against the Los Angeles Kings on January 7th, meaning they’ll have easy access to additional bodies for the next few weeks if needed.
Sharks Notes: Smith, Kurashev, Mukhamadullin, Gaudette
The San Jose Sharks have played themselves into contention for a playoff spot this season, their biggest concrete step forward in the standings since their rebuild began at the start of the decade. A key member of the team powering their ascent is 2023 No. 4 overall pick Will Smith. Unfortunately for the Sharks, Smith was injured Saturday in the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and is now set to miss at least a week, according to Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller. Per Miller, Smith will be re-evaluated on Monday.
The loss of Smith is not only a blow due to the fact that the Sharks are losing what Smith himself provides on the ice; it’s also a loss due to his chemistry with franchise face Macklin Celebrini, chemistry that won’t be easily replicated by another player. Smith has scored 29 points in 33 games so far in 2025-26, and is emerging as a legitimate star forward. The Sharks are set to play their first game since losing Smith tonight against the Flames. It appears Smith’s spot on the team’s first line alongside Celebrini will be taken by 2024 No. 33 overall pick Igor Chernyshov, who will make his NHL debut tonight.
Other notes from the Bay Area:
- Miller also reported that veteran forward Philipp Kurashev, who was also injured Saturday against Pittsburgh, will be out on a week-to-week basis. It’s a tough break for Kurashev, who was in the midst of a solid bounce-back season. After scoring 18 goals and 54 points playing alongside Connor Bedard with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023-24, Kurashev only managed 14 points in 51 games in 2024-25, paving the way for his exit from the Windy City. The Sharks signed Kurashev and he has rewarded them by scoring 15 points in 31 games, a 40-point full-season scoring pace. A pending arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, Kurashev will hope to recover as quickly and completely as possible in order to resume his season in the best fashion possible.
- Sharks blueliner Shakir Mukhamadullin is back in the lineup tonight, according to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, after missing Saturday’s game due to injury. Mukhamadullin has been managing an upper-body injury, and has missed five of the last six Sharks games. He’s slated to play on San Jose’s third pairing tonight alongside former Washington Capital Vincent Iorio. In 15 games this season, Mukhamadullin is averaging 16:32 time on ice per game including a role on the club’s penalty kill.
- Veteran forward Adam Gaudette won’t play against the Flames tonight as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Miller. Gaudette missed a few games earlier this season with an upper-body injury but has otherwise had a healthy, reasonably productive debut campaign in the Bay Area. The 29-year-old was signed by the Sharks off the back of his 19-goal season with the Ottawa Senators in 2024-25, and he’s under contract at a $2MM AAV through next season. He’s scored 11 points in 29 games this year. Gaudette played fourth-line center with some power play time on Saturday, and his role now appears likely to be filled in his absence by fellow former Senator Zack Ostapchuk.
Sharks Place Adam Gaudette On IR, Activate Shakir Mukhamadullin
Earlier today, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reported that the San Jose Sharks have placed forward Adam Gaudette on the injured reserve. A few minutes later, Pashelka shared that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin would be activated from the injured reserve and return to the lineup this evening.
It was a likely outcome for Gaudette considering his expected recovery timeline. After sustaining an upper-body injury against the Minnesota Wild, multiple reports indicated that although he is considered day-to-day, the Sharks expect him to miss at least a week. Assuming that the IR placement will be made retroactive to October 26th, it’s likely that Gaudette will return next Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken.
The 8-year veteran is in the first year of a two-year, $4MM contract signed with the Sharks last summer. He earned himself a notable payday after an impressive 2024-25 campaign, scoring 19 goals in 81 games for the Ottawa Senators. Gaudette quickly became a prime candidate for San Jose to scoop up on the free agent market to add quality goal-scoring potential in their middle-six.
Meanwhile, Mukhamadullin returns after missing the last three weeks with an upper-body injury, only participating in one contest this season. Still, he made a notable difference in that one appearance against the Vegas Golden Knights, tallying two assists while skating in 12:45 of action.
According to line rushes this morning, Mukhamadullin is expected to skate on a defensive pairing with fellow youngster Sam Dickinson. The two are both high-end defensive prospects in San Jose’s system and could offer a glimpse into the team’s future this evening.