SAN JOSE – Shakir Mukhamadullin is not going to play Thursday evening in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers, and it stays unclear whether or not the injured San Jose Sharks rookie defenseman will be capable of return this season.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky mentioned Thursday that Mukhamadullin was nonetheless being evaluated after he sustained an upper-body damage early within the third interval of the staff’s sport in opposition to the Anaheim Geese on Tuesday.
Warsofsky mentioned Mukhamadullin has been across the Sharks’ observe facility however couldn’t definitively say whether or not the 23-year-old can be obtainable to play later this month because the common season winds down. After Thursday, the Sharks, formally eradicated from playoff competition final month, have simply seven video games remaining. They are going to play their final sport on April 16 at residence, additionally in opposition to Edmonton.
Requested if the Sharks have been assured that Mukhamadullin may return this season, Warsofsky mentioned, “Honestly, I’m not sure yet.”
Early within the third interval of Tuesday’s sport at Honda Middle, Mukhamadullin collided with Troy Terry within the impartial zone, flattening the Geese ahead. Mukhamadullin was then met by Anaheim winger Frank Vatrano, who dropped his stick, threw his gloves down, grabbed the Sharks blueliner, and dragged him to the ice.
Mukhamadullin, not anticipating Vatrano to return after him, tried to brace his fall by placing his left arm down earlier than the Geese ahead moved over high of him. Mukhamadullin landed awkwardly, and Vatrano skated away as Mukhamadullin sat up and winced in ache as he reached for his higher physique.
Mukhamadullin was then assisted to the Sharks’ dressing room by a staff coach.
Mukhamadullin had been taking part in his greatest hockey of the season earlier than the damage. Within the 10 video games instantly after Jake Walman was traded to the Oilers, Mukhamadulin averaged over 22 minutes per sport as he performed on the highest pair with Mario Ferraro.
“I think (Mukhamadullin) just ran into the guy, and I think Vatrano saw it differently and was standing up for his teammate,” Ferraro mentioned of the play. “It’s just unfortunate, the way they went down. I don’t think there’s any ill intent. It’s just unfortunate.
“(Mukhamadullin) has been playing really good hockey. It sucks. I hope he’s doing OK mentally. I know I’ve checked in on him a couple of times, but he’s a good kid. He’s playing well, but it’s an unfortunate couple events that happened.”
Warsofsky mentioned Wednesday that wanting again, he might need wished a extra bodily response to Vatrano’s actions, saying, “We don’t like what Vatrano does. We should probably handle it a little bit differently, to be honest with you.”
“Our players (will) have to develop some instincts in certain situations,” Warsofsky added Thursday. “But I’ll never tell anybody to fight.”
The Sharks responded on the scoresheet, as Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Alexander Wennberg scored to tie the sport and assist ship it into time beyond regulation. The Sharks misplaced 4-3 in a shootout.
“The way it looks, obviously, we were (upset). I think our response was tying it up and going into overtime and almost winning the game,” Ferraro mentioned. “We had a couple of big hits after that. Maybe we weren’t in there to fight them, but I think we did other things that countered it. In the moment. It was kind of hard to see what actually happened, because it didn’t seem like anything crazy. And then you look at it back, and then you’re like, ‘shoot.’
“But that’s not how the game works, right? Things happen fast, and it’s in the third period. We always want to have each other’s backs, but happened fast, so I think our response in general, of not backing down in the game is sort of a response like that. All year, we’ve stuck up for each other. But I don’t know the intent on the play, so it was hard to react in the moment, especially when you don’t see it until the video.”
With Muhamadullin unavailable, left-shot defenseman Henry Thrun will return to the Sharks’ lineup for the primary time since March 8 when he re-aggravated an upper-body damage in a sport in opposition to the New York Islanders. Thrun, who has missed 13 of the final 14 video games, has been skating just lately however didn’t undergo a full-contact Sharks observe earlier than Thursday.
“I’m good to go,” Thrun mentioned.
GEORGIEV HURT: Sharks beginning goalie Alexandar Georgiev has an upper-body damage and won’t play in opposition to the Oilers. The damage, although, will not be thought of critical, as Georgiev skated Thursday morning. Georgi Romanov will begin in opposition to the Oilers, and Gabriel Carriere, recalled from the Barracuda on Thursday morning, will again him up.
Yaroslav Askarov, who re-aggravated a lower-body damage earlier than Wednesday’s Barracuda sport in opposition to Ontario and didn’t play, traveled with the staff to Colorado and is accessible to play with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate on Friday and Saturday. Askarov, who skated with the Barracuda earlier this week, hasn’t performed since Feb. 19 when he first sustained the damage.
KOVALENKO, KOSTIN SIT: Forwards and pending restricted free brokers Nikolai Kovalenko and Klim Kostin would be the Sharks’ wholesome scratches in opposition to the Oilers. For Kostin, it marked the sixth time in seven video games that he’s been scratched, and for Kovalenko, it was his sixth straight sport as a spectator.
Noah Gregor will play in his third straight sport, and Cam Lund will gown in his fifth straight since he signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks final month.
Requested about his message to Kovalenko, Warsofsky mentioned, “I think every time you’re on the ice, if it’s a practice, if it’s a morning skate, that’s your game. You’re always being evaluated. So we’ll see if they get back in there.”
The Sharks’ homestand continues with video games in opposition to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Initially Revealed: April 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM PDT
