Rutta logged an assist and blocked six shots in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Blues.
Rutta is more of a shutdown defenseman, but he's likely to fill a top-four role this season, so he could still make an impact on offense. The 34-year-old blueliner had 19 points in 69 appearances in 2023-24, his highest total since 2017-18. Rutta also had a minus-21 rating in his first year with the Sharks, and that's an area that will be difficult for him to improve as the team remains in its rebuilding phase.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Ready to go
Rotowire
Rutta (undisclosed) will practice in the second session Friday.
Rutta is healthy at training camp after missing the final two games of the 2023-24 campaign . The 34-year-old blueliner had five goals, 14 assists, 69 shots on net, 69 hits and 110 blocked shots in 69 regular-season appearances with the Sharks.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Set to miss remainder of season
Rotowire
Rutta (undisclosed) will miss the final two games of the regular season, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Rutta will finish 2023-24 with five goals, 19 points, 69 shots on net, 110 blocked shots and 69 hits in 69 games. He still has one more season left on his three-year, $8.25 million contract.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Tickles twine
Rotowire
Rutta scored a goal on two shots and went minus-2 in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Wild.
Rutta ended a six-game slump by scoring the Sharks' first goal. The 33-year-old defenseman is up to five goals, 19 points, 69 shots on net, 68 hits, 110 blocked shots, 38 PIM and a minus-21 rating through 69 appearances. Rutta is one goal and one point shy of his career highs in those respective categories, and he's got two more games to add to his totals.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Deposits empty-netter
Rotowire
Rutta scored an empty-net goal, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Blues.
Rutta has a point in three straight games, earning a goal and two assists in that span. The 33-year-old is up to four goals -- his most in a season since 2017-18, his first NHL campaign -- with 14 assists, 61 shots on net, 98 blocked shots, 62 hits and a minus-18 rating over 62 appearances. He needs two more points to match his career high of 20, which he also achieved in 2017-18.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Snags helper in loss
Rotowire
Rutta notched an assist, three blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Stars.
This was Rutta's fourth game back from a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old defenseman continues to see top-four usage, but playing for a low-scoring team will keep his offense down. He's produced 16 points, 60 shots on net, 96 blocked shots, 60 hits and a minus-19 rating through 60 appearances this season.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Back in action against Preds
Rotowire
Rutta had one blocked shot in 20:12 of ice time in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to Nashville.
After missing the last five games with a lower body injury, Rutta returned to his regular spot on the second pairing with partner Henry Thrun. Rutta finished with two shots, one blocked shot and a minus-5 rating in 20:12 of ice time. The 33-year old defenseman offers a solid defensive presence with some peripheral offensive contributions. He may be an option in deeper leagues for managers needing help in the blocked shots and hits categories, but his offensive upside is limited.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) will be back in the lineup Tuesday on the road in Nashville, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Rutta will return to action after missing the past five games due to injury. The 33-year-old has three goals and 12 assists in 56 games played this season. He will either be on the second or third defensive pairing when the Sharks visit Nashville on Tuesday.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Out again Sunday
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) won't play Sunday versus the Blackhawks, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Rutta will miss his fifth straight game. He has chipped in three goals, 15 points, 90 blocked shots and 58 hits across 56 appearances this campaign. Once he's cleared to return, Rutta could challenge Marc-Edouard Vlasic or Jacob MacDonald for playing time.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Unavailable Saturday
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) will not be in the lineup Saturday versus Columbus, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Rutta will miss his fourth consecutive game. He could be ready to go Sunday when the Sharks face Chicago as they near the end of their five-game road trip. Rutta has three goals, 15 points and 90 blocked shots in 56 contests this season.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Still out Thursday
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Penguins, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Rutta will miss his third straight game with the injury, though he is on the Sharks' current road trip. With Jacob MacDonald (illness) also out, the Sharks will dress five defensemen for Thursday's game. It's unclear if Rutta will be cleared to return Saturday versus the Blue Jackets.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Remains day-to-day
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) is still day-to-day and won't be an option against the Flyers on Tuesday, per NHL.com.
Rutta isn't exactly an offensive powerhouse but with 16 points in 56 games this season, the blueliner could reach the 20-point threshold for the first time since his rookie campaign with Chicago back in 2017-18. Once cleared to play, Rutta should reclaim a spot in the lineup, perhaps at the expense of Jacob MacDonald.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Misses game, will travel on trip
Rotowire
Rutta (lower body) missed Saturday's game versus the Senators but will travel with the Sharks for their road trip, which begins Tuesday in Philadelphia, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Rutta's presence on the trip suggests his injury is of the short-term variety. When he's ready to play again, Calen Addison or Jacob MacDonald are the most likely defensemen to exit the lineup.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Notches assist
Rotowire
Rutta posted an assist in Tuesday's 7-6 overtime loss to the Stars.
This was Rutta's third helper in the last six contests. The 33-year-old blueliner has been solid in a top-four role lately, though his offense remains modest at best. He's up to 15 points, 54 shots on net, 89 blocked shots, 58 hits, 36 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 55 outings overall. Rutta's likely to maintain his current role, but his fantasy value is limited to deeper formats.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Hands out helper
Rotowire
Rutta posted an assist, four blocked shots and two hits in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars.
Rutta has two helpers and 10 blocked shots over his last four games. The 33-year-old defenseman continues to see significant minutes in a top-four role, but mostly as a defense-first presence. He's up to 14 points, 53 shots on net, 87 blocks, 57 hits and a minus-13 rating over 53 appearances this season.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Reaches 10-assist mark
Rotowire
Rutta posted an assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Predators.
Rutta snapped a five-game point drought when he set up Filip Zadina's third-period tally. The 33-year-old Rutta has been solid in a top-four role this season, picking up 13 points, 48 shots on net, 54 hits, 78 blocked shots and a minus-13 rating over 50 appearances. However, his offense isn't high enough to carry much value in standard fantasy formats.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Fills empty cage
Rotowire
Rutta scored an empty-net goal in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Kraken.
Rutta's point streak is at five games (three goals, three assists) after he added the insurance tally Tuesday. The 33-year-old has rarely had such productive stretches in his career, but it coincides with him seeing more consistent top-four usage with Mario Ferraro (lower body) out. Rutta is up to three goals, 12 points, 41 shots on net, 70 blocked shots, 36 hits and a minus-10 rating through 44 appearances this season.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Two assists in overtime win
Rotowire
Rutta provided two assists, three blocked shots and two PIM in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers.
Rutta is warm right now, earning four points over the last three games, all wins for the Sharks. He played a key role Tuesday, setting up Ryan Carpenter for the game-tying goal in the third period and Tomas Hertl for the game-winner in overtime. Rutta has 10 points, 38 shots on net, 68 blocked shots, 36 hits, 18 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 42 appearances. The 33-year-old may see a larger role while Mario Ferraro (undisclosed) is out.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Chips in with helper
Rotowire
Rutta provided an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Canucks.
Rutta has five helpers over nine appearances in December. The 33-year-old has been a steady presence in a top-four role when healthy this season, but he doesn't add much offense. Rutta's at six assists, 29 shots on net, 45 blocked shots and a minus-11 rating through 28 appearances.
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Sharks' Jan Rutta: Good to play Thursday
Rotowire
Rutta (illness) is available for Thursday's game against Arizona, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Rutta has five assists, 17 hits and 43 blocks in 26 contests with the Sharks this season. His return might result in Henry Thrun being a healthy scratch versus the Coyotes.
