That is the sixth straight 12 months that Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson has been unable to play a full season.
Generally Karlsson’s solely been out of the lineup for a couple of days, as he missed 5 video games in 2016-17 when he was with the Ottawa Senators and simply 4 of 56 video games final season with the Sharks.
Different instances, although, Karlsson’s been out for weeks or months, and proper now, his prolonged absence from the Sharks’ lineup has had a devastating affect on the workforce’s playoff hopes.
Previous to Tuesday’s sport with the Anaheim Geese, the Sharks had been 1-4-3 over the past month with out Karlsson, who had surgical procedure to restore a small muscle tear in his left forearm on Jan. 24. San Jose acquired by with out Karlsson at instances earlier this season, however the NHL will get tougher because the playoffs get nearer.
Karlsson is now skating and his forearm is getting stronger, coach Bob Boughner stated Tuesday, and he might be again in a couple of weeks to help in a playoff push ought to the Sharks nonetheless be within the race at that time. He’s fifth in scoring on the Sharks, with 26 factors in 33 video games, regardless of the damage.
However Sharks administration’s focus needs to be on the long run, and one of many largest duties the entrance workplace has might be to determine methods to mitigate the lack of Karlsson, who turns 32 in Could, ought to he must miss extra time within the years forward.
The Sharks merely can’t go away themselves this susceptible to an prolonged Karlsson damage once more, particularly contemplating the two-time Norris Trophy winner has 5 years left after this season on a contract that carries an $11.5 million salary-cap hit. 
The easiest way for the Sharks to try this is so as to add ability and scoring depth to their ahead group, however these gamers often aren’t low cost.
4 gamers – Karlsson, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Logan Couture – presently take up 42.3 p.c of the workforce’s wage cap house, with solely modest will increase to the $81.5 million cap anticipated within the subsequent 12 months or two.
Tomas Hertl’s long-term future in San Jose is unsure, and his absence would clearly have an effect on the Sharks’ skill to attain targets.
The Sharks additionally can't be positive how an unbiased arbitrator will determine the grievance that was filed by the NHL Gamers’ Affiliation on behalf of Evander Kane, who was owed near $22.9 million on the time the workforce terminated his contract. How a lot of Kane’s contract comes again on the Sharks’ books, if any?
Since Karlsson’s damage, the Sharks, as of Tuesday afternoon, rank final within the NHL in common targets scored per sport with 2.13, and are tied with Arizona for eight-worst in targets allowed per sport (3.75).
“He’s our highest-paid and greatest participant,” Boughner stated of Karlsson on Sunday after the Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. “It hurts a workforce like ours for positive.”
The Sharks have a handful of high quality two-way gamers, however the lack of high-end ability within the top-nine ahead group has pressured some out of place. Wingers who would in any other case be taking part in on one other workforce’s third line are on the Sharks’ second line, and prototypical fourth-line gamers are on the third line.
Since Karlsson’s been out, Nick Bonino and Alexander Barabanov have led the Sharks with 5 factors every in eight video games earlier than Tuesday, as each gamers have every had one three-point sport. Burns, Couture, Timo Meier, and Jonathan Dahlen have 4 factors every.
To make sure, younger gamers like Dahlen, Jasper Weatherby, and Rudolfs Balcers may all play larger roles sooner or later, and it’s additionally doable that latest draft decisions William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau – extremely expert forwards in their very own proper – might be on the Sharks’ roster subsequent season.
That would all assist the Sharks in 2022-23 and past if Karlsson is out for lengthy durations sooner or later, but it surely’s no positive factor. That’s the place the entrance workplace is available in – to do the work essential to keep away from a free fall like this once more. Absolutely they’re taking inventory of what’s taking place now.
NOTES: Ryan Dzingel, plucked off of waivers by the Sharks from Toronto, might be in Tuesday night time’s lineup. He'll begin the sport on a line with Logan Couture and Balcers, who he is aware of from his time in Ottawa.
With Dzingel in, Noah Gregor will begin Tuesday’s sport on the fourth line with Jasper Weatherby and Jonah Gadjovich, and Dahlen might be a wholesome scratch. The Sharks are additionally scratching winger Jeffrey Viel and defenseman Ryan Merkley, who's being changed within the lineup by Radim Simek.