The San Jose Sharks are getting some key reinforcements back as they hit the midpoint of their five-game road swing. Forward Philipp Kurashev and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin have both been activated off injured reserve and are set to suit up Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.
This marks Kurashev’s first game action since December 13, when he left with an upper-body injury during a matchup against the Penguins. Mukhamadullin has been sidelined since January 3, also with an upper-body issue, after logging minutes against the Lightning. Their return couldn’t come at a better time for a Sharks squad looking to build on a solid start to the road trip.
With those two back in the mix, the lineup shuffle continues. Forward Pavol Regenda and defenseman Timothy Liljegren will sit this one out.
Regenda has struggled to produce lately, registering just one goal over his last six outings. As for Liljegren, his turnover in overtime Thursday proved costly, directly leading to Zach Hyman’s game-winner in a 4-3 loss to the Oilers.
That kind of mistake tends to earn a night in the press box, especially with healthy bodies ready to go.
In net, the Sharks are turning back to the hot hand. Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start against Calgary after Yaroslav Askarov allowed four goals on 32 shots in Edmonton. Nedeljkovic has quietly put together a five-game win streak, and the coaching staff is clearly riding the momentum.
Still waiting in the wings is Kiefer Sherwood. The Sharks acquired the 30-year-old forward from Vancouver back on January 19, but an upper-body injury has kept him shelved.
His last appearance came on January 10, when he was hurt playing for the Canucks against Toronto. His Sharks debut will have to wait a little longer.
Meanwhile, the team made a move to clear roster space, placing defenseman Vincent Iorio on waivers Friday. The New York Rangers quickly scooped him up.
Iorio, 23, had been a healthy scratch in six straight games and was the odd man out with the blue line getting healthier. He originally joined the Sharks in mid-October after being waived by Washington and logged 21 games, tallying three assists while averaging just over 16 minutes per night, mostly on the third pairing.
His playing time took a hit with the return of Vincent Desharnais, who’s now set to dress for his sixth straight game after missing more than seven weeks with an elbow injury. With Iorio claimed, the Sharks are now carrying 49 NHL contracts-one shy of the league maximum.
As it stands, San Jose is 1-0-1 on this road trip, and they’ll look to keep collecting points as they wrap up the swing with stops in Chicago on Monday and Colorado on Wednesday before the Olympic break hits. With key players returning and the goaltending situation stabilizing, the Sharks are quietly piecing together some momentum.