San Jose Sharks activate Nico Sturm and return Jack Thompson to the AHL

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks activated center Nico Sturm from injured reserve on Monday and made room for him on the 23-man roster by assigning defenseman Jack Thompson to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

The transactions mean the Sharks currently have 14 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek and rookie Yaroslav Askarov.

Sturm’s return to the Sharks’ active roster was believed to be imminent after he showed signs of improvement last week and trained with the team on Sunday. He also participated in the Sharks’ morning skate on Monday, where he was officially deemed a game-time decision by coach Ryan Warsofsky.

The Sharks play the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in the second game of a four-game homestand. Warsofsky did not say who his starting goaltender would be.

Warsofsky said he had a few players who were “picked up” and thinking about game-play decisions, although it would be a surprise if Sturm, a mainstay as the Sharks’ fourth-line center, didn’t play against the Kings.

Sturm, who was injured in the Sharks’ game against the New York Rangers earlier this month, is the Sharks’ leader in faceoff percentage and one of the team’s best penalty killing forwards.

Thompson was on the Sharks’ roster for almost the entire season, playing in 13 of the team’s 23 games. His five points are the third most among all Sharks defensemen as he averages just under 16 minutes of ice time per game.

The Sharks have had three goaltenders on their roster since Nov. 18, when they recalled Askarov from the Barracuda. At the time, Vanecek was believed to be dealing with an upper-body injury, but Vanecek assisted Blackwood in the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabers on Saturday.

Askarov made his Sharks debut on Thursday and made 29 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues.

It is unclear how long the Sharks plan to keep three goalies on their active roster.

Both Blackwood and Vanecek have yet to become unrestricted free agents, and there is speculation that one could be traded to another team before the NHL trade deadline on March 7.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN and the NHL Network posted on social media platform X on Monday that the Carolina Hurricanes are “exploring potential goalie options on the market.” Frederik Andersen is out eight to 12 weeks after knee surgery, and Pyotr Kochetkov had to leave Saturday’s game in Columbus after colliding with defender Sean Walker. Kochetkov is now in the concussion protocol.

Originally published: November 25, 2024 at 2:39 pm PST