SEATTLE — The San Jose Sharks looked fantastic today. Problem was, they played yesterday.
“It’s probably our best practice of the year. Said to our group, looks like we saved our legs for today’s practice, which is unfortunate,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky quipped, about yesterday’s listless 2-0 shutout to the Calgary Flames.
It looks like the Sharks will make some significant changes against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
First, Jeff Skinner will not play tomorrow: The sniper suffered an ugly-looking lower-body injury against the Flames and is still being evaluated. Warsofsky should supply a better timeline for Skinner’s injury tomorrow.
Warsofsky says the Sharks should call up a forward from the San Jose Barracuda, but didn’t say who.
With that in mind, here’s how the San Jose Sharks lined up in practice:
Kurashev-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Graf
Gaudette-Dellandrea-Toffoli
Goodrow-Reaves
Orlov-Klingberg
Ferraro-Mukhamadullin
Leddy-Desharnais
Dickinson-Liljegren
No Skinner, as expected, on the ice for #SJSharks practice. Will get an update soon.
There was a surprise center, but not a Barracuda call-up, it was assistant coach Jeff Ulmer, who last played in 2018. He beat Askarov with a wicked wrister 😆
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 14, 2025
Best guess, Warsofsky wouldn’t confirm, and remember that these lines aren’t set in stone, Sam Dickinson and Timothy Liljegren will sit out. Could this be Nick Leddy’s first game (upper-body) since Oct. 23?
I also asked Warsofsky about John Klingberg’s recent spate of penalties, three minors in the last two games, and the veteran defenseman’s recent play.
“Everyone’s got to play better. All six of our defensemen weren’t good last night. The puck play was atrocious,” Warsofsky said. “That’s not just No. 3 [John Klingberg], that’s No. 9 [Dmitry Orlov], No. 6 [Sam Dickinson]. I mean, you name it. Every guy made some pretty glaring mistakes [against the Flames].”
So Klingberg probably won’t be facing the line-up reaper…yet.
Also noteworthy, the Sleepover Line’s Tyler Toffoli was dropped to the third line, in favor of Philipp Kurashev.
Toffoli denied yesterday that an upper-body injury which kept him out of last Monday’s practice was affecting his play, but Warsofsky both defended the winger and challenged him.
“He’s not going to tell you that. He’s playing through something, it is what it is,” Warsofsky said. “We need everyone to play better.”
Toffoli was also demoted on the power play. Here’s how the San Jose Sharks practiced the PP…
PP1: Klingberg-Eklund (left flank)-Celebrini (right flank)-Smith (bumper)-Wennberg (net front)
PP2: Orlov-Toffoli (left)-Kurashev (right)-Graf(bumper)-Gaudette (net front)
It’s a big change for Eklund, who’s occupied more of a bumper/net front role on the Sharks’ power play this season.
“Downhill, attack more,” Warsofsky said of Eklund on the flank, “move Smitty to the bumper there. Gives us a different look.”
Warsofsky said that Toffoli took the news like a pro.
Finally, one piece of the news that no doubt, everybody was happy about: Alex Nedeljkovic returned to the San Jose Sharks, after taking an emergency leave of absence on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Sharks re-assigned Jakub Skarek, who backed up Askarov in Calgary, to the Barracuda.
“Just a little something went on back home. Had to go back home, take care of the family,” Nedeljkovic said, declining to share specifics, but emphasizing, “Everything’s all right.”
Nedeljkovic was supposed to start on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, but Askarov replaced him last-minute. Nedeljkovic flew back to San Jose on Wednesday morning and met the team in Seattle on Friday.
“Stressful day yesterday, but everything’s fine, and happy it’s over, so you can move on,” he said.
#SJSharks practice about to start at Kraken Community Iceplex, Seattle’s practice facility.
You can contribute to my travel fund here! https://t.co/dwuYlkAz7j pic.twitter.com/IMYmaPi43U
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 14, 2025