Preview/Lines #59: DeBoer Reflects on Unfamiliar Sharks, Barabanov Has Day-to-Day Injury

The injuries keep piling up for the San Jose Sharks.

According to NHL Injury Viz, they’re now second in the NHL in Man Games Lost, trailing only the Vegas Golden Knights.

NHL injury summary through 1 March pic.twitter.com/kK1Ij98E6y

— NHLInjuryViz (@NHLInjuryViz) March 2, 2024

Tonight’s line-up is a representation of that, which ex-Sharks head coach and current Dallas Stars bench boss reflected upon this morning.

“It’s shocking to me, there’s only four [Sharks] that I coached. And I don’t feel that I was there that long ago,” DeBoer, who coached the San Jose Sharks from 2015 to 2020, said.

That’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kevin Labanc, Ryan Carpenter, and Mario Ferraro.

“It’s been a full turnover of that group, especially with Couture and Hertl out of the line-up,” he said, referring to centers Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, both nursing lengthy injuries.

That churn continues for the Sharks tonight, as Magnus Chrona draws his second NHL start because of Mackenzie Blackwood’s week-to-week lower-body injury, Givani Smith comes in for Alexander Barabanov’s day-to-day lower-body injury (suffered last game), and Ty Emberson sits out with a week-to-week lower-body laceration (also suffered last game).

San Jose Sharks (15-38-5)

Vlasic, coming back from his own upper-body injury, is a game-time decision in place of Emberson.

David Quinn did say that Justin Bailey will slide up in Barabanov’s place, joining Mike Hoffman on a line centered by Nico Sturm.

Dallas Stars (36-17-9)

#TexasHockey Morning Skate Update:

• Jake Oettinger starts in goal.

• No lineup changes from Thursday.

• Seguin still not skating, but improving. Not tonight, but hopeful it’s sooner than later.

• Chris Tanev, still dealing with immigration process, will not play tonight.

— Owen Newkirk (@OwenNewkirk) March 2, 2024

First Shift: Pavelski household on a roll as Stars welcome Sharks to town https://t.co/2fU5XGHarY

— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) March 2, 2024

Where to Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars is 5 PM PT at American Airlines Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.