Sharks' Givani Smith: No clear path to playing time
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Smith has been scratched for six of the Sharks' first eight games in November after sitting out Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
The winger has just four appearances this season, earning no points with seven hits, 10 PIM, three blocked shots, two shots on goal and a minus-1 rating. Smith will likely have to wait for injuries to pop up before he'd have a chance at a steady spot in the lineup, and even then it's not a guarantee. The 26-year-old plays on the fourth line when he draws in, and his career high of seven points gives him minimal upside for any fantasy format.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Healthy scratch Saturday
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Smith (illness) will be a healthy scratch Saturday versus Anaheim, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Smith sat out the Sharks' season-opening overtime loss to St. Louis on Thursday due to an illness. Now that he's healthy, he could be in the mix for fourth-line action. Smith recorded four points, 40 PIM and 87 hits in 36 appearances during the 2023-24 regular season.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Won't play Thursday
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Smith (illness) isn't available for Thursday's game against St. Louis, per Max Miller of NHL.com.
Smith's next opportunity to play will come Saturday against Anaheim. He had a goal, four points, 40 PIM and 88 hits across 36 regular-season games with San Jose in 2023-24. Smith might serve in a fourth-line capacity once he has recovered, though the 26-year-old isn't a lock to be in the lineup even when he's healthy.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Under the weather
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Smith is dealing with an illness that kept him off the ice Tuesday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Smith has some time to get healthy ahead of the Sharks' Opening Night clash with the Blues on Thursday. Even if the winger is fit enough to play, he is far from a lock for the lineup and could find himself watching from the press box in favor of Danil Gushchin and Ty Dellandrea.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Snags helper in loss
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Smith posted an assist in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Islanders.
Smith picked up his first point in five games since he returned from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for two months. The 26-year-old winger has four points, 27 shots on net, 70 hits, 33 PIM and a minus-8 rating over 31 appearances. Smith's played almost exclusively on the fourth line and offers almost no upside for fantasy managers.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Expected to return Saturday
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Smith (lower body) will be activated off injured reserve and play Saturday versus Nashville, coach David Quinn told Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News on Wednesday.
Smith is set to play for the first time since Dec. 21. He has a goal, three points, 33 PIM and 59 hits in 26 contests this season. Smith will likely serve on the fourth line Saturday.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Still sidelined
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Smith (lower body) won't play Thursday against Calgary, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Smith is evidently nearing a return to full health, but he'll remain on injured reserve for now. He's picked up just three points through 26 contests this season, so fantasy managers don't need to track his status.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Could play Thursday
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Smith (lower body) may be available for Thursday's game versus the Flames, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Smith has been out since Dec. 23, though he joined the Sharks on their current road trip. His return is apparently close, but he's unlikely to see more than a fourth-line role if he gets into the lineup at all once activated from injured reserve.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Return isn't imminent
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Although Smith (lower body) did skate Saturday, he's not close to returning, coach David Quinn told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Smith, who hasn't played since Dec. 21, has a goal, three points, 33 PIM and 45 hits in 26 contests this season. When Smith is an option, he will compete for a fourth-line spot and might also occasionally serve as a healthy scratch.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Goes on injured reserve
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Per Max Miller of The Hockey News, Smith (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Smith was injured Dec. 21 versus Arizona and his placement on IR was likely made retroactive to that date. Smith has gone 11 games without a point -- he has a goal, two assists, 45 hits and 33 PIM in 26 games this season.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Sidelined again Wednesday
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Smith (lower body) won't play Wednesday versus the Kings, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Smith was hurt last Thursday and his absence will now reach two games. The 25-year-old should be considered questionable at best for Thursday's contest versus the Oilers.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Unavailable Saturday
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Smith (lower body) won't play Saturday against the Canucks, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Smith, who is considered day-to-day, was injured in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Arizona. In 26 appearances this season, he has registered three points, 33 PIM, 27 shots on goal and 45 hits. With Alexander Barabanov (illness) also unavailable to play, Jacob MacDonald could shift back to forward for Saturday's contest.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Hurt in Thursday's game
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Smith (undisclosed) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Coyotes, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Smith was hurt in the second period on a hit from Matt Dumba in the neutral zone. The 25-year-old Smith has filled a fourth-line role for most of the time he's in the lineup, so his absence won't make waves in fantasy. If he misses time, Alexander Barabanov is likely to return to the lineup.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Good to go Friday
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Smith (abdomen) is in Friday's lineup against the Devils, per the NHL's media site.
Smith was a game-time call Friday but he won't be forced to miss any action despite dealing with a minor injury. The 25-year-old has three points, 29 PIM and 35 hits through 21 games this season.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Game-time decision Friday
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Smith has a mid-body injury and a decision on if he will be in the lineup will be made after the pregame skate Friday versus New Jersey, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Smith was injured Thursday in Boston and it may have occurred during his fight with Trent Frederic late in the second period, as he did not play in the third. Smith has a goal, two assists, 29 PIM and 35 hits in 21 games this season.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Collects pair of points
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Smith scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist, added two hits and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Blues.
Smith has three points on the year, all of which have come over the last two games. His second-period goal was his first as a Shark. The 25-year-old has added 24 shots on net, 22 PIM, 25 hits and a minus-3 rating while playing in a fourth-line role over 15 appearances. Despite his uptick in offense, he's unlikely to sustain his scoring long enough to make an impact in fantasy.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Registers helper
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Smith earned an assist, fired two shots on goal and added two PIM in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Panthers.
Smith saw just 5:55 of ice time Tuesday, but he was able to set up Mike Hoffman for a first-period goal. Entering Tuesday, Smith was averaging 8:44 of ice time per game. The 25-year-old continues to see a limited role on the fourth line, where he's contributed 23 hits, 22 PIM, 21 shots on net and a minus-5 rating through 14 appearances.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Spends time in sin bin
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Smith was scoreless in Friday's 3-0 road loss against the Hurricanes.
Smith ended up with two shots on goal, two minor penalties, two blocked shots and a hit in his 9:53 of ice time across 14 shifts. He has very little fantasy appeal outside of the deepest pools, but he can be helpful in the PIM and hits categories.
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Sharks' Givani Smith: Joining San Jose
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Smith signed a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the Sharks on Saturday.
The Panthers elected not to qualify Smith after he logged four points (one goal, three assists) in 34 games. The 25-year-old Smith will bring a physical element to San Jose's bottom six -- he racked up 63 hits and 72 PIM last year.
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Givani Smith: Hitting open market
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Smith was not qualified by Florida on Friday, making him an unrestricted free agent, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Smith scored four points in 36 combined games with Detroit and Florida last season. His physicality could land him a bottom-line role somewhere, as he also added 67 hits and 72 PIM in 2022-23.
