SAN JOSE – The Sharks positioned Mario Ferraro on injured reserve Saturday, which means the energetic, heavy-minute defenseman must miss not less than the subsequent three video games simply because the workforce is attempting to drag out its most up-to-date funk.
The character of Ferraro’s damage or when it may need taken place was not instantly clear. Ferraro didn't apply Saturday however he performed over 21 minutes within the Sharks’ 5-2 residence loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.
The Sharks shut out their two-game homestand on Sunday in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks, then start a four-game highway journey subsequent week with stops in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Buffalo.
Ferraro will miss the video games in opposition to the Canadiens on Tuesday and the Maple Leafs on Wednesday however can be eligible to return for the Sharks’ Dec. 3 recreation in opposition to the Senators. San Jose then closes its highway journey Sunday in opposition to the Sabres.
The Sharks presently have six different defensemen on their lively roster and it might seem, barring a recall from the AHL, that Nick Cicek would take Ferraro’s spot within the lineup for Sunday’s recreation.
Cicek has performed in 5 video games for the Sharks this season, all earlier this month as Radim Simek recovered from a gentle concussion. Cicek averaged 15:16 per outing and largely earned optimistic evaluations.
The Sharks had simply six defensemen on their lively roster earlier this month however would possibly wish to carry a seventh defenseman with them for not less than the primary half of their upcoming highway journey as insurance coverage in opposition to one other damage.
Ferraro has performed in all 23 Sharks video games this season and is averaging 22:49 in ice time per outing, second solely to Erik Karlsson amongst all skaters (25:15), Ferraro has one objective and 4 assists this season and is the workforce’s chief in shorthanded time on ice, with a mean of two:38 per recreation.
The Sharks are already with out defensemen Nikolai Knyzhov (Achilles) and Markus Nutivaara (decrease physique), who're each out long-term.
Ferraro needed to miss 19 video games final season as he was positioned in COVID-19 protocol in late December, wanted dental surgical procedure in late January, and wanted surgical procedure once more the next month after he suffered a fractured decrease left fibula. The Sharks’ document in these video games was 7-10-2.
Friday’s loss to the Kings was the Sharks’ fourth in 5 video games as they continue to be mired in seventh place within the Pacific Division with a 7-13-3 document.
Ahead Nico Sturm skated once more Saturday and is eligible to come back off IR on Sunday. Sturm has been recovering from an upper-body damage he suffered in a Nov. 19 recreation in opposition to the Rangers as he was checked exhausting into the boards by New York ahead Ryan Carpenter.
NOTE: The Sharks recalled goalie Aaron Dell on Saturday and now have three goalies on their lively roster. Dell was additionally recalled earlier this week as James Reimer handled what was described as a minor lower-body damage and was unavailable for the Sharks’ recreation Wednesday in Seattle. Dell was returned to the AHL on Friday, Reimer began in opposition to the Kings and allowed 4 targets on 28 photographs.