- Having missed the team’s most recent game on New Year’s Eve, San Jose Sharks defenseman, Kyle Burroughs confirms he will be back in the lineup tonight as the Sharks take on the Detroit Red Wings (X Link). Going through a difficult season similar to the rest of his teammates, Burroughs has tallied four assists in 35 games this year, carrying a -22 rating into tonight’s action.
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Sharks Rumors
Ty Emberson Activated Off IR
- With the injury to Gustafsson, the Winnipeg Jets recalled Jeffrey Viel from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL on an emergency loan (CapFriendly). Viel is in his first season with the Jets organization after spending the previous five years with the San Jose Sharks. The 26-year-old has yet to dress in an NHL game for Winnipeg but does have 49 career NHL games to his name with the Sharks. He’s posted three goals and two assists in his NHL career, all of which came in the 2021-22 season. Viel did not play against the Minnesota Wild last night and will likely serve as the Jets’ 13th forward during his recall.
- The San Jose Sharks have activated Ty Emberson off the injured reserve as per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News. The rookie defenseman has been out with a lower-body injury since December 1st and will be able to dress today when the Sharks take on the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old has dressed in 16 games this season and has a goal and three assists while averaging 17:51 of ice time per game. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native was acquired by San Jose from the New York Rangers via waivers before the start of the season and should give the Sharks a physical presence on the back end as he has averaged over two hits a game thus far this season.
San Jose Sharks Send Down Magnus Chrona
- Beat writer for the San Jose Sharks, Curtis Pashelka, reports that the team opted to send down goaltender Magnus Chrona to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, opening up a spot on the 23-man roster. Chrona was able to make the first start of his NHL career only two nights ago against the Edmonton Oilers, having already made his NHL debut on November 4th. Unfortunately, in that start, the Denver University alumni let in four goals on 12 shots in the first period, and would not resume playing the rest of the game.
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What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the San Jose Sharks.
Who are the Sharks thankful for?
There isn’t a lot to be excited about from a San Jose Sharks team that kicked off their season with an 11-game losing streak, is currently on a seven-game losing streak, and has yet to win 10 games. But thankfully, there’s a fantastic consolation prize in the 2024 NHL Draft – San Jose local and star prospect Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini was born in Vancouver but played much of his youth hockey career in the Bay Area, before moving to Shattuck St. Mary’s. He’s since emerged as a superstar prospect, with 25 points through his first 15 games as an NCAA freshman. The fleet-footed centerman is also the leading scorer for Team Canada’s World Juniors roster, boasting six points in three games – double the scoring of anyone else on the roster. His trophy case is already full of accolades, including winning the awards for both USHL Rookie of the Year and USHL Most Valuable Player last season. Celebrini doesn’t project to be a generational prospect like Connor Bedard but he’s confidently in the “1B” tier below him, likely poised for immediate success in the NHL. There’s no better place for Celebrini to start his career than where it all began – or, that will at least be what Sharks fans hope for if their season continues to skid.
What are the Sharks thankful for?
Extra goaltending training.
The San Jose Sharks are averaging 35.7 shots-against this season – the third-most of any team over the last decade. That’s led to a dismal average of 4.08 goals-against this season but it’s also meant extra action for netminders Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen, providing a sort-of trial by fire for the Sharks’ starting goalie role. The duo has had very different results this year, with Blackwood recording a .884 save percentage in 23 appearances, while Kahkonen has set an even .900 save percentage in 17 games, catching up in appearances while Blackwood has been out with illness. Moneypuck’s goals-saved-above-expected per-60 stat (GSAx/60) paints a similar story, with Kahkonen’s 0.368 sandwiched between Igor Shesterkin and Jacob Markstrom at 13th in the league while Blackwood’s -0.312 ranks 32nd in the league. Letting up a bombardment of shots every single night is a terrible habit to have but the opportunity to see how a netminder faces such heavy pressure is a nice silver lining. Kahkonen is one of a daunting 17 Sharks set to become a free agent next summer, while Blackwood is signed through the end of the 2024-25 season, and how each player is able to take advantage of their chances through the rest of the season will undoubtedly weigh heavy into how San Jose handles their goalie contracts next off-season.
What would the Sharks be even more thankful for?
A confident win.
The Sharks are not only currently on a seven-game losing streak, but two of their last three wins have come in overtime, while the other win was a grueling 2-1 victory that saw its game-winning goal scored with just a few minutes left. It’s been a tedious stretch for the Sharks, forced to fight to the end of every game they play, unless they’re getting walloped on the scoreboard. There is no saying just how impactful a win could be, especially if the Sharks can find a way to really get over an opponent and win by a few goals. The team only has two wins of three goals or more this year and haven’t managed the feat since December 1st. With the holiday break passed and the All-Star break looming, now is a perfect time for San Jose to set their pace for the rest of the season – and which players are able to step up and assure that could make a tremendous impact on the team’s long-term plans.
What should be on the Sharks holiday wish list?
More draft stock.
The Sharks are unsurprisingly set to be sellers at the trade deadline, with options like Tomas Hertl and Anthony Duclair poised to receive plenty of interest from teams looking for a scoring boost. If they do get interest, draft capital needs to be the Sharks’ top priority. The team already has four picks in the top-two rounds of next year’s draft but a lot has been made about the strength of the 2025 and 2026 draft classes as well, and increasing their stock in each draft could go a long way in helping San Jose build out a team that can lift them out of their rebuild. They’ve had just three picks in the Top 10 since 2010, used to draft Timo Meier (2015), William Eklund (2021), and Will Smith (2023). That’s no way to bring in talent that can lead the top of a lineup, especially considering that one of those selections has already been traded away. After a season of immense struggles, San Jose will hope they can reverse this trend and bring in a few true difference makers over the next three drafts.
Mackenzie Blackwood Trending Towards Return Amid Multiple Injury Updates
- The San Jose Sharks have announced a string of injury updates – sharing that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is trending in the right direction to play on Sunday, while Ty Emberson and Logan Couture are doubtful for the matchup. San Jose will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak when they face the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. The Sharks have been outscored 33-to-10 over their long-term skid.
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Sharks Activate Carpenter, Place Smith On IR
- The San Jose Sharks announced that forward Ryan Carpenter has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team placed forward Givani Smith on injured reserve, retroactive to December 21st. Carpenter has missed the last 10 games with an undisclosed injury and has five points in 18 games so far this season playing as a defensive/penalty-killing specialist in San Jose. Smith 25, has played in 26 games this season and has logged three points and 33 penalty minutes.
West Notes: Gavrikov, Chrona, Girard
The Los Angeles Kings have announced that defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has been activated off of injured reserve. In addition, defenseman Jacob Moverare has been recalled from the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Gavrikov has not played since December 10th, and had been dealing with a lower-body injury.
Gavrikov has played a top-four role in Los Angeles, averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time per night with a regular penalty-killing role. He’s provided the Kings with decent value on the $5.875MM investment they made in him, and if he keeps it up he’ll be in a strong position to hit free agency at the end of 2024-25. Moverare, 25, has skated in 16 games at the AHL level so far this season and five in the NHL.
Some other notes from the Western Conference:
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled netminder Magnus Chrona from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The move was made to give the Sharks an additional goaltender to cover for the fact that regular tandem netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is not feeling well. In a corresponding move, defenseman Jacob MacDonald was placed on injured reserve, which clears the roster spot to be used on Chrona. Chrona, a former NCAA National Champion at the University of Denver, has a .900 save percentage in 11 games in what has been his rookie pro campaign.
- Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media today (including Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano) that defenseman Samuel Girard will not play tonight, but also “hinted” that there is a chance he plays Friday against the St. Louis Blues. Girard returned to skating on December 21st, and is working his way back to game readiness after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Kahkonen Open To Staying With Sharks, No Extension Talks Yet
Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen is on an expiring contract, making him a candidate to be moved before the March 8th deadline. The 27-year-old told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that he likes the direction that the team is heading in and would be open to re-signing with San Jose although he’s unaware of any discussions on that front at this point. Kahkonen was traded two years ago when he was on an expiring deal, coming to the Sharks in a swap with Minnesota. He has a .899 SV% in 15 games this season, a number that’s a little below league average but with the state of their roster and their struggles this season, that’s not a bad showing. Accordingly, teams looking for help between the pipes might be inclined to inquire about Kahkonen in the coming weeks.
Alexander Barabanov Out With Illness
- Earlier today, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reported that forward Alexander Barabanov will be out of the lineup tonight with an illness. Already missing over a month of the season with a finger injury, Barabanov has been quite good upon his return on December 3rd, scoring one goal and four assists in eight games for the San Jose Sharks.
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Rutta And Addison Could Play Thursday
- After missing last night’s game, Sharks defensemen Jan Rutta (illness) and Calen Addison (lower-body injury) were both feeling better today and could suit up Thursday versus Arizona, relays Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). Rutta has five assists and 43 blocked shots in 26 games so far this season, his first with San Jose after being acquired from Pittsburgh. Addison, meanwhile, has picked a goal and five helpers in 19 games since being picked up last month in a trade with Minnesota.