Sharks Injury Update: Quinn Expects Full Lineup For Wednesday
The San Jose Sharks returned to the ice for practice after their bye week for the first time today. Head coach David Quinn is hopeful he will get a healthy lineup on Wednesday.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports - Sharks Injury Update: Quinn Expects Full Lineup For WednesdayThe San Jose Sharks returned to the ice for practice after their bye week for the first time today. Head coach David Quinn is hopeful he will get a healthy lineup on Wednesday.
"It was good that we're bringing bodies back, and guys are feeling better," Quinn said. "As we've all touched on, it's been a crazy year that way, but that's life in pro sports."
As for their projection to play on Wednesday in Winnipeg, Quinn said, "That's the plan."
Mikael Granlund hasn't played a game since San Jose faced the Chicago Blackhawks on January 16th due to an upper-body injury.
"I hope so," Granlund said about playing on Wednesday. "First time on the ice in a long time."
San Jose hasn't had Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, Mikael Granlund, or Nico Sturm in the lineup for a single game this season.
"It's big for the team if we could all be in a lineup at the same time. We know that hasn't happened once this year," Granlund said. "Sometimes things go that way, and obviously, in any team, if some of your top players are out, it makes the task a little bit tougher."
Mario Ferraro left the game against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury but said the time off did him some good physically and mentally.
"It's a lot better. I mean, I had a lot of time, so it's a good time to get hurt if you're going to get hurt," Ferraro said. "I think a lot of guys enjoyed their time off and their break. It was nice to kind of get away from here for a bit. It was a good mental reset good. Physical one, too. [It] was pretty medicinal for sure."
Henry Thrun was more cautious when discussing his injury. He told THN that his upper-body injury will likely nag him for some time.
"We'll see. Today was kind of the first day testing it," Thrun said. "[I] had two weeks to rehab and rest, but there's really no making hockey until you play hockey. Today, I tried to take some mental notes of what I could and couldn't do."
Givani Smith returned to the ice for practice for the first time in quite a while. He hasn't played a game since December 21st against the Arizona Coyotes.
"It's always good to have a guy like that who can play a physical role for you," Quinn said. "It'll be good to get him back. It's been a while."
Given the Sharks' roster number, if the injured players are to come back and play on Wednesday, decisions must be made for which players remain in the NHL.
"There's a lot that goes into all those decisions," Quinn said. "We've started having some of them, but when we get closer to Tuesday, we'll certainly button them down and have more final decisions."
The Sharks are scheduled to practice for the next three days before heading north to face the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
- Follow Max on Twitter: @Real_Max_Miller
