Vanecek (upper body) will not dress Thursday in St. Louis, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports.
Yaroslav Askarov will make his San Jose debut Thursday, while Mackenzie Blackwood will be the backup. Vanecek is in danger of losing his spot on the roster if Askarov is able to excel at the NHL level. Vanecek is 2-5-1 with a 3.36 GAA and an .899 save percentage in 10 games this season.
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Sharks' William Eklund: Nabs shorthanded helper
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Eklund recorded a shorthanded assist in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Stars.
The helper extended Eklund's point streak to five games (two goals, five assists). He also has two power-play points in that span, which has showcased his all-situations importance to the Sharks. The 22-year-old is up to four goals, 12 helpers, 33 shots on net and a minus-3 rating through 20 outings this season. Eklund will play heavy minutes as the Sharks continue their rebuild, but he should offer decent scoring contributions, and it looks like he won't be anywhere near the horrendous minus-45 rating he had in 2023-24.
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Sharks' Mikael Granlund: Playing against Blues
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Granlund (upper body) will be in action to face St. Louis on Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
Granlund will avoid missing any time after being injured in Wednesday's matchup with Dallas. The 32-year-old center is riding a three-game point streak while racking up three goals and five assists in his last seven outings. With Granlund fully fit, he figures to maintain his first-line role alongside William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund.
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Sharks' Yaroslav Askarov: Between the pipes Thursday
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Askarov will defend the road crease in St. Louis on Thursday, Max Miller of NHL.com reports.
Askarov is considered the Sharks' goaltender of the future, and he will make his San Jose debut Thursday after spending the first six weeks of the season in the AHL. Askarov was 6-3-0 with a 1.92 GAA and a .939 save percentage over nine appearances in the AHL before being recalled. He will face the Blues, who are 29th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.45 goals per game.
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Sharks' Mackenzie Blackwood: Allows five goals Wednesday
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Blackwood stopped 26 of 29 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Stars. The final two goals were empty-netters in the closing minutes of the third period.
Blackwood had a decent outing all things considered, as the game was close until the final two minutes where the Stars scored a pair of empty-netters. Blackwood has made four starts in a row for the Sharks, posting a 1-2-1 record with a 2.98 GAA and a .900 save percentage in that span. It wouldn't be surprising if Blackwood gets some rest in the coming games given his recent workload.
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Sharks' Jake Walman: Scores in loss to Stars
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Walman scored a goal in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Stars.
Walman cut the Stars' lead to 3-2 at 13:25 of the third period with a snap shot from the top of the right circle. This was his second goal of the season, but he's made a bigger impact as a playmaker from the blue line. The 28-year-old has 10 assists already, and that figure represents a career-high mark for him.
Granlund (upper body) left Wednesday's game versus the Stars in the third period, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky didn't have an update on Granlund's status. The center was pulled from the game late in the third period after a high hit, so it's likely he was in the concussion protocol. The injury leaves him in doubt for Thursday's game against the Blues. Givani Smith would likely draw into the lineup and Alexander Wennberg would move up if Granlund can't play Thursday. Prior to his exit, Granlund scored a shorthanded goal and added his 400th career assist in the 5-2 loss.
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Sharks' Vitek Vanecek: Traveling, but out Wednesday
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Vanecek won't dress for Wednesday's road game in Dallas, but he is traveling with the Sharks, per Max Miller of NHL.com.
Vanecek has a 2-5-1 record, 3.36 GAA and .899 save percentage in 10 appearances in 2024-25. He might still be an option for Thursday's tilt in St. Louis given that he's with the team, but in the meantime, Yaroslav Askarov is set to back up Mackenzie Blackwood versus the Stars.
Blackwood is expected to start on the road against Dallas on Wednesday, according to Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.
Blackwood has a 4-5-3 record, 3.07 GAA and .908 save percentage in 12 appearances this season. He stopped just 16 of 20 shots in his last start Monday, but he got plenty of offensive support, resulting in a 5-4 overtime victory over Detroit. Dallas has an 11-6-0 record and ranks 12th in scoring with 3.29 goals per game.
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' Cody Ceci: Earns helper Monday
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Ceci logged an assist and two shots on goal in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
This was Ceci's second helper in his last four contests. The 30-year-old defenseman has filled a shutdown role in the Sharks' top four this season, so most of his offense will be by virtue of playing big minutes. He's at a modest four assists with 25 shots on net, 33 blocked shots, 22 hits and a minus-6 rating over 20 appearances, averaging 22:36 of ice time.
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Sharks' Carl Grundstrom: Contributes assist
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Grundstrom notched an assist, four shots on goal and five hits in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
Grundstrom has two helpers, nine shots on net and 14 hits over his last four appearances. The 26-year-old winger has been a regular presence on the fourth line, though he has been scratched three times this season. He's up to four assists, 22 shots on net, 53 hits and a minus-1 rating through 17 outings.
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Sharks' Mario Ferraro: Collects helper Monday
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Ferraro notched an assist, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
Ferraro snapped an eight-game point drought with this helper. During that slump, he went minus-9 with 24 hits and 14 blocked shots. The 26-year-old defenseman plays a physical game, and that doesn't often include making much of an impact on offense. He's at three helpers, 23 shots on net, 56 hits, 39 blocks and a minus-8 rating through 20 appearances.
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Sharks' Alexander Wennberg: Two helpers in overtime win
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Wennberg registered two assists, including one on the power play, in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
Wennberg snapped a five-game point drought when he set up William Eklund's first goal of the contest, and he added another helper on a Tyler Toffoli goal. Through the first 20 games, Wennberg has been extremely streaky in a middle-six role -- he's had two extended droughts sandwiched around a stretch of seven points in seven games. The playmaking center has three goals, six helpers, 27 shots on net, 15 blocked shots, 12 hits and a minus-2 rating.
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Sharks' Mackenzie Blackwood: Earns OT win Monday
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Blackwood stopped 16 of 20 shots in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
This was far from Blackwood's best performance, but it was enough to give him his first win since Nov. 10, when he recorded a 44-save shutout against the Devils. On the season, Blackwood has gone 4-5-3 across 12 appearances, posting a 3.07 GAA and a .908 save percentage.
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Sharks' Macklin Celebrini: Scores game-winning OT goal
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Celebrini scored the game-winning goal in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings.
The star prospect scored his fourth goal of the season, and while there will be many more to come in his career, this is likely the most important one so far. He has four goals in eight games as an 18-year-old rookie, and while there will be growing pains and some consistency issues as he navigates his first year in the league, there's no question Celebrini is as talented as advertised.
