Marc-Édouard Vlasic Will Not Play Tuesday
- Sharks defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic practiced with the team this morning but is not expected to suit up Tuesday night against the Hurricanes, The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka reports. Vlasic did not play the final two periods of the Sharks’ shootout loss at the hands of the Avalanche Saturday and is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. 22-year-old Henry Thrun will step into Vlasic’s place on the Sharks’ second pairing alongside Matt Benning after the former was scratched against Colorado.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic To Miss Tuesday Game
William Carrier was spotted in a no-contact jersey at Vegas’ Monday practice, taking reps in his usual fourth-line role. He’s been announced as a game-time decision for the team’s next game. Of note, fellow Golden Knight Alex Pietrangelo was absent from the practice. Pietrangelo had a scary moment in the team’s Thursday night game against the San Jose Sharks when a high hit from Nicolas Hague left the defender bloodied.
- Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News has shared that defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic won’t play in the team’s Tuesday night matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Vlasic missed the team’s Monday morning practice, after sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of the Sharks’ Saturday night game against the Colorado Avalanche. Vlasic scored 18 points in 78 games for the Sharks during the 2022-23 season, his 17th season with the club.
Couture Close To Return
If not already maxed out his potential as a hockey player, Puljujarvi is incredibly close to the cutoff line. When the return comes, there may be an opportunity on a rebuilding team such as the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, or San Jose Sharks; however, even their interest may be mild.
- The captain of the San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture, has already missed the team’s opening night game against the Vegas Golden Knights and is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Couture has been out with a lower-body injury since September 21st, but tonight’s game may be the last he misses. According to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group, Couture is close to skating again and should join the team back on the ice soon.
Sharks Recall Jacob Peterson
The Sharks have made a roster move in advance of their game tonight against Colorado, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Jacob Peterson from AHL San Jose. To make room for him on the roster, they’ve placed forward Mikael Granlund on IR, a move that was expected to happen yesterday; the placement was made retroactive to Friday.
Back in 2021-22, Peterson worked his way into a fairly regular role in Dallas, suiting up in 65 games that season where he provided some quality depth scoring, notching a dozen goals. However, that wasn’t enough to secure a spot with the Stars as he played just once with Dallas last season. The 24-year-old was then flipped to San Jose for minor leaguer Scott Reedy at the trade deadline.
Peterson eventually became a late-season recall by San Jose and fared quite well for himself, notching eight points in 11 games down the stretch while logging nearly 18 minutes a night of ice time. At that point, it looked like he had played his way into the plans for this season but wound up being a late cut, clearing waivers last weekend.
Granlund will miss at least the next three games with his lower-body injury so Peterson will have a bit of time to try to force his way into a longer stint with the Sharks if he can pick up where he left off last season.
Sharks To Place Mikael Granlund On Injured Reserve
San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund will be placed on injured reserve after re-aggravating a lower-body injury in last night’s season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports. Granlund logged 15:36 of ice time before leaving early in the third period. No corresponding recall has been made yet, nor has the IR placement been registered with the league.
Granlund is still listed as day-to-day, and it’s unclear whether he’ll miss more than the seven days (and three games, in this case) required to land on IR. Head coach David Quinn told reporters (including The Hockey News’ Max Miller) that Granlund is “not feeling great today” and that he noticed the previous injury rearing its head early in the game. The summer trade acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Erik Karlsson deal missed a significant chunk of preseason with the injury.
Granlund is coming off a brutal end to the 2022-23 season, during which he scored just one goal and five points in 21 contests with the Penguins after they acquired him via trade from the Nashville Predators in March. The 31-year-old never lived up to expectations in Nashville after they acquired him from the Minnesota Wild for then-youngster Kevin Fiala, only eclipsing the 50-point mark once after doing so thrice with the Wild. Last season was also one of the worst of his career defensively, posting a -15 rating and 48.2% Corsi share at even strength.
His injury leaves the Sharks with 12 healthy forwards, meaning a recall is necessary for the Sharks to have an extra on the roster. Most of their likely recall options – namely Ryan Carpenter, Oskar Lindblom or Jacob Peterson – are not waiver-exempt and would need to clear again should they play more than ten games or stay on the roster for 30 days. For now, Luke Kunin is likely to shift to center after playing on Granlund’s wing last night, and Kevin Labanc will likely make his season debut tomorrow against the Colorado Avalanche after sitting against Vegas.
Sharks Notes: Simek, MacDonald, Okhotiuk, Couture, Bailey, Kaspick
Before their opening night matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow night, Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News relayed some injury information from the San Jose Sharks. Pashelka notes that defensemen Radim Simek, Jacob MacDonald, and Nikita Okhotiuk are all returning from injury.
There wasn’t any further information regarding their status for tomorrow night. Still, the fact that they are now all back skating gives some optimism that San Jose could see the return of several important blueliners in the coming days. For the time being, Simek and MacDonald are currently on injured reserve, while Okhotiuk finds himself on the season-opening injured reserve.
Throughout this year, the Sharks will give Simek plenty of opportunity and ice time, as he would be a prime trade deadline candidate on a contending team to shore up the bottom six of a defensive core. Okhotiuk on the other hand, a former second-round selection of the New Jersey Devils back in 2019, is a potential building block on defense in San Jose, after being acquired at last season’s trade deadline.
Other Sharks notes:
- In a bit more negative injury information, Pashelka also relays on that Sharks’ captain, Logan Couture, did not skate today, and has had some sort of setback in his lower-body injury. Being placed on injured reserve on September 21st during training camp, the going notion was that Couture would be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. Given that tomorrow will mark three weeks on injured reserve for the veteran forward, there may be some pessimism surrounding Couture’s availability tomorrow night.
- Still coming from Pashelka, and moving away from injuries, he announces that the AHL affiliate of the Sharks, the San Jose Barracuda, are planning on signing forwards Justin Bailey and Tanner Kaspick to AHL contracts for the upcoming season. Of the two, Bailey is the only one with NHL experience, playing a total of 82 games over seven years, scoring five goals and four assists.
Evening Notes: Couture, Motte, Nylander
Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News is reporting that San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture will miss the team’s home opener on October 12th against the Vegas Golden Knights. Couture remains week-to-week currently but has started some light skating over the last few days. Couture suffered a lower-body injury prior to the start of training camp and failed his physical which has kept him out of pre-season action. This will be the first time Couture starts a season on the IR.
The Sharks are likely to use Tomas Hertl in Couture’s usual spot centering their first line. While Hertl can play on the team’s top unit, it does create a domino effect on an already thin forward group. Mikael Granlund appears likely to center the team’s second unit which could be problematic given how much he struggled last season.
The Sharks appear poised to finish the season near the bottom of the standings and seem prepared to take their time with Couture’s injury. Couture is only halfway through his eight-year contract and could become a tradeable asset for the Sharks if he is able to get healthy and contribute this season.
In other evening notes:
- Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Motte left the game in the second period of their 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old took a puck in the hand with just under six minutes left in the middle frame and did not return to the game. Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper told reporters that the team will know more about Motte’s condition at some point tomorrow. Motte signed a one-year deal in the offseason after setting a career-high with 19 points last season in 62 games.
- Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN Insider Trading that the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending unrestricted free agent forward William Nylander are continuing contract extension discussions into the season with both sides remaining tight-lipped on the proceedings. LeBrun added that Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving had a face-to-face discussion with Nylander at training camp as the sides try and work towards a resolution. LeBrun finishes by saying that it appears from the outside that all parties are on the same page as far as getting the deal done.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/7/23
While teams have considerably whittled down their rosters compared to where they were just a weekend ago, there are still plenty more cuts to be made in the coming days. Here are today’s roster trimmings excluding earlier waiver placements.
Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)
D Ryan Johnson (to Rochester, AHL)
F Lukas Rousek (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
D Nick DeSimone (to Calgary, AHL)
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen (to Calgary, AHL)
F Martin Pospisil (to Calgary, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
G Yaniv Perets (to Norfolk, ECHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
D Marcus Bjork (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Jake Christiansen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Joshua Dunne (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Carson Meyer (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Billy Sweezey (to Cleveland, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team Twitter)
D Alexander Petrovic (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via team Twitter)
F Austin Czarnik (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Timothy Gettinger (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G John Lethemon (to Toledo, ECHL)
D Jared McIsaac (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Wyatt Newpower (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brogan Rafferty (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per ESPN’s John Buccigross)
D Marc Del Gaizo (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team Twitter)
D Santeri Hatakka (to Utica, AHL)
G Isaac Poulter (to Utica, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team Twitter)
F Jonny Brodzinski (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ben Harpur (to Hartford, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)
F Wade Allison (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team Twitter)
F Ryan Carpenter (to San Jose, AHL)
F Oskar Lindblom (to San Jose, AHL)
F Quentin Musty (to Sudbury, OHL)
F Jacob Peterson (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (per team Twitter)
D Ryker Evans (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Shane Wright (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel (to Hershey, AHL)
G Mitchell Gibson (to Hershey, AHL)
F Alex Limoges (to Hershey, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Speculation Swirling Around Logan Couture
Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News wrote an article speculating on the future of San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture. In the article, Richardson wonders if the Sharks will look to move the Guelph, Ontario native once he is back in the lineup. The Sharks have made moves in recent years to shed their high-priced veterans, and at 34 years of age, Couture would fit that description. He is entering the fifth year of an eight-year $64MM contract that carries an annual cap hit of $8MM.
Richardson is not the first pundit to suggest that the Sharks will move on from the center. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff said earlier this week that he believed that Couture was a prime trade candidate, and even added that he could see the Sharks using their final retained salary slot to facilitate a move. It would make sense for the Sharks to move on as they are unlikely to be contenders in the remaining years of Couture’s contract. The team has moved on from Brent Burns, Timo Meier, and Erik Karlsson and has little reason to keep Couture other than to be a mentor for some of their younger players.
Couture is coming off a very productive season in which he scored 27 goals and 40 assists in 82 games. His 67 points last year weren’t far off his career high of 70 points that he registered in 2018-19. While he was part of a power play that was led by Norris Trophy winner Karlsson, he only recorded 20 points with the man advantage, a number that isn’t above his average production. And while San Jose has little urgency to trade him, Couture’s trade value is probably the highest it will be for the remainder of his contract.
For Couture’s part, he has talked about his predicament before. On an August episode of the San Jose Hockey Now podcast, Couture said that he would love to end his career in San Jose, but he wanted to play more meaningful games. Something that isn’t likely to happen in San Jose for at least a few seasons. While some might view Couture’s statement as neutral, his words do show that he has a desire to play for a winning team.
San Jose Sharks Sign Jake Furlong To Entry-Level Contract
After signing forward Quentin Musty to an entry-level contract yesterday, the San Jose Sharks have inked another prospect to an entry-level deal as well. According to a team release, the organization has signed defenseman Jake Furlong to a standard three-year entry-level contract.
Coming to San Jose as the 140th overall selection of the 2022 NHL Draft, Furlong has recently begun his fourth season with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, earning the captaincy just before the start of the year.
In back-to-back solid point-scoring seasons for the Mooseheads, Furlong has racked up 11 goals and 81 assists in 134 games over his sophomore and junior campaigns. In last year’s playoff race, playing in 21 total postseason games, Furlong scored one goal and 11 assists, nearly helping his team to the Memorial Cup Tournament before being ousted in the QMJHL Finals to the Quebec City Remparts in six games.
Clearly showing leadership capabilities, as well as solid on-ice play, Furlong has a legitimate shot to make San Jose’s roster over the next couple of seasons. With a willingness to join the play on offense, and being of adequate size for an NHL blue line, Furlong will have every opportunity to earn a spot on the Sharks in their rebuilding efforts.