In tonight's matchup, the San Jose Sharks are missing a key piece in their lineup. Alexander Wennberg, a seasoned center, is sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Wennberg has been a consistent presence this season, tallying 43 points in 64 games. After a few stops along the way, he's found his groove in San Jose, playing a pivotal role and enjoying significant power play time.
At 31, Wennberg is logging career-high minutes and posting his best numbers since his breakout 2016-17 season in Columbus.
With Igor Chernyshov also unavailable due to injury, the Sharks have turned to Philipp Kurashev and Pavol Regenda to bolster their third line as they face off against Ottawa. The Sharks are in a tight race, fighting to secure a Wild Card spot.
In other Sharks news, goaltender Laurent Brossoit is set to make his debut for San Jose. Brossoit, nearing 33, is making his NHL return after last appearing in April 2024 with the Winnipeg Jets.
To put it in perspective, his last NHL game saw him facing shots from now-retired forward Zach Parise. After a stint in the AHL and a challenging period with knee issues, Brossoit has proven himself this season with a .915 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average, earning 11 wins in 14 games.
His strong performance led to a call-up, especially with Yaroslav Askarov currently out.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the Capitals' new forward David Kampf will have to wait a little longer for his debut. Head coach Spencer Carbery revealed that Kampf has returned to Vancouver for the birth of his child and is also dealing with visa issues.
Kampf, who was acquired at the trade deadline for a sixth-round pick, hasn't played since March 4. As he approaches free agency, Kampf is eager to make his mark, especially with Washington unlikely to make the postseason.
Despite playing for a struggling Canucks team, Kampf has managed a respectable 49.8% corsi for at five-on-five, showing improvement over his previous seasons with Toronto.