Injured San Jose Sharks center Nico Sturm will miss at least the team’s next two games, starting with tonight’s game with the Arizona Coyotes, and it’s unclear when he might be able to return, coach David Quinn said.
Sturm, injured in the third period Tuesday when the Sharks hosted the Winnipeg Jets, did not make the trip with the team to Arizona. He’ll also miss Sunday’s game in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche, and does not have a timeline for a return, Quinn said.
Sturm appeared to fall awkwardly after a collision with a Winnipeg player just inside San Jose’s blue line. Sturm left the ice and remained on the Sharks bench as he was being examined by a team trainer. He did not play the rest of the game as the Sharks went on to beat the Jets 2-1.
Sturm’s injury appeared to be to his hand or wrist area and has been described by Quinn as being ‘mid-body.’
As of Friday morning, Sturm was not listed as being on injured reserve.
Quinn added that centers Ryan Carpenter and Logan Couture also did not make the trip as the Sharks seek to win on the road for the fourth time in six games. Carpenter has been on injured reserve since Dec. 4 and Couture hasn’t played all season with a lower-body ailment, although he has ramped up his on-ice activities in recent days.
Givani Smith will draw into the lineup for the Sharks after he was scratched from Tuesday’s game and it appears Luke Kunin will take Sturm’s place as San Jose’s third-line center.
Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen will start tonight, Quinn said. In six career games against Arizona, Kahkonen is 6-0-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. He started both of the Sharks’ games at Mullett Arena in Tempe last season, going 2-0 with a .933 save percentage.
Sturm leads the Sharks with a 62.2 faceoff win percentage and is second on the team with 154 defensive zone draws, trailing only Tomas Hertl (190). He also ranks fourth among all Sharks forwards in average shorthanded time on ice (2:03).
The Sharks are 4-1-1 this month. The last time they won five of their first seven games in December was during the 2018-2019 season when they began 5-2-0.
