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San Jose Sharks News

Smith (upper-body) will return in Detroit on Friday.

Smith has not played in over a month, but has ramped things up over the last week after returning to contact drills in practice, and could return to the lineup as soon on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.

Will Smith
Kesselring (lower-body) will remain out vs. Montreal on Thursday despite being activated from IR earlier in the day.

Kesselring has not played the last seven games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing the past several days. He was activated off of Injured Reserve on Thursday, but will miss at least one more game. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

Michael Kesselring
Kesselring (lower-body) has been activated from IR ahead of Buffalo's matchup vs. Montreal.

Kesselring has not played the last seven games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing the past several days. He was activated off of Injured Reserve on Thursday, which could indicate he is aiming to play in the evening against the Montreal Canadiens. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

Michael Kesselring
Smith (upper-body) is a possibility to return vs. Detroit on Thursday.

Smith has not played in nearly a month, but has ramped things up over the last week after returning to contact drills in practice, and could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.

Will Smith
Askarov is expected to start in Detroit on Friday.

In their last 21 games (12-9-0), the Sharks have allowed fewer than three goals only three times, all while Alex Nedeljkovic has been between the pipes. During that stretch, the Sharks rank second-worst in the league defensively (4.00 GA/GP), and have not received the stout netminding from Askarov that they became accustomed to earlier in the season. In his last 13 games (7-6-0), the 23-year-old Askarov has an ugly 3.64 GAA and .865 SV%. The Sharks enter Friday’s contest as +158 road underdogs against a Detroit Red Wings team whose four-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday in a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Yaroslav Askarov
Nedeljkovic will start in Washington on Thursday.

Yaroslav Askarov has struggled lately, allowing three or more goals in 13 consecutive games (7-6-0), so the team will turn to Nedeljkovic, who is riding a two-game winning streak. Despite his recent success, the 30-year-old Nedeljkovic has also had an inconsistent season, posting a 3.12 GAA and .890 SV% in 20 games (7-8-2). The Sharks enter Thursday's contest as ++153 road underdogs against a Washington Capitals team that is 3-3-1 in their last seven games.

Alex Nedeljkovic
Smith (upper-body) was a full participant in Wednesday’s meeting practice but will not return vs. Washington on Thursday.

Smith has not played in nearly a month and has finally been cleared for contact, practicing in a full capacity on Wednesday, but he will miss at least one more game. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.

Will Smith
Kesselring (ankle) skated on Tuesday but is still not expected to return vs. Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Kesselring has not played the last six games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing, but is still expected to miss at least one more game. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

Michael Kesselring
Smith (undisclosed) has had his injury designation upgraded to day-to-day.

Smith has not played in nearly a month and was back at practice last week, albeit in a non-contact jersey, for the first time since suffering his injury. He underwent contact drills for this first time on Monday and appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.

Will Smith
Sherwood (undisclosed) is out vs. Montreal on Monday and is considered day-to-day.

Sherwood is having an excellent season for Vancouver, but he is battling an undisclosed ailment and will be out of the lineup on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 30-year-old forward is averaging 17:32 time-on-ice, recording 23 points (17G / 6A), 109 shots, and 210 hits in 44 games this season.

Kiefer Sherwood
Askarov will start vs. Vegas on Sunday.

The Sharks are coming off an impressive 5-4 come-from-behind overtime win yesterday against the Dallas Stars, and will turn to Askarov to tend the twine on the tail end of their back-to-back. The 23-year-old Askarov has allowed three or more goals in each of his last 12 outings (7-5-0), posting a 3.42 GAA and .871 SV%. The Sharks enter Sunday’s contest as +130 home underdogs against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Yaroslav Askarov
Comrie will start against the Kings on Friday.

The Jets are on the tail-end of a back-to-back on Friday, so it will be Comrie who gets the latest chance of ending Winnipeg's prolonged losing streak. Comrie, as you might have guessed, was tagged with the loss in his last start, allowing six goals on 30 shots in a 6-5 loss to the Maple Leafs on New Year's Day. The 30-year-old netminder brings a 6-9-1 record and an .880 SV% into Friday night's matchup, where the Jets enter action at +110 on the money line.

Eric Comrie
Misa is expected to stay with the Sharks for the remainder of the season.

Misa made his NHL debut earlier this season but was used sparingly before suffering an injury, totaling only three points (1G / 2A) in seven games. The 18-year-old second-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft scored seven points (2G / 5A) in seven games with Team Canada at the U-20 World Junior Championships and hopes his bronze-medal success at the tournament can help him build some confidence at the NHL level.

Michael Misa
Smith (undisclosed) skated in a non-contact jersey at practice on Friday.

Smith has not played in nearly a month and was back at practice, albeit in a non-contact jersey, for the first time since suffering his injury. He still needs to be approved for contact so it's unclear when he might return to the lineup, but his presence is an encouraging sign nonetheless. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.

Will Smith
San Jose has acquired Nolan Allan, Laurent Brossoit, and a 2028 7th round pick from Chicago for Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 4th-rounder.

Allan was drafted 32nd overall by the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut last season, scoring eight points (1G / 7A) in 43 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, but has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 season in the AHL.

Nolan Allan