Barabanov Should Play Tomorrow, Svechnikov Waived, Makiniemi & Suess Recalled

It was a chaotic day at Sharks Ice.

Five roster moves greeted me in the morning:

To recap #SJSharks roster moves today:

Recalled: Suess, Makiniemi
Sent Down: Dell
Waived: Svechnikov (still practicing here today)
Not practicing (on IR): Ferraro, Reimer, Nieto

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 6, 2022

There was so much going on, all the local beat writers, including myself, didn’t notice Steven Lorentz’s absence. We’ll check on Lorentz tomorrow.

Also, Alexander Barabanov left the middle of practice and didn’t come back.

#SJSharks locker room so crowded, Nikolai Knyzhov needs a temporary shelf to house his stuff 😆 He had a locker room stall last week pic.twitter.com/bjipC5CFmF

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 6, 2022

So where do we start?

David Quinn didn’t have a Barabanov update when we spoke after practice. A source told San Jose Hockey Now that Barabanov suffered a lower-body injury, but good news, it’s not too serious and he’s “not expected” to miss the game tomorrow.

Quinn shared that Nieto was “not feeling great” after Rasmus Dahlin trucked him in the San Jose Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.

Rasmus Dahlin 👀💥 pic.twitter.com/gLg2nobeig

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 5, 2022

Nieto continued in the game after this second period hit, but he didn’t play a shift in the last six minutes of the contest. He was placed on IR today.

“It was a clean hit, a hockey hit,” Quinn acknowledged. The San Jose Sharks bench boss said that Nieto is awaiting test results, so we should have a better idea about his timeline tomorrow.

Evgeny Svechnikov was waived, but he still practiced with the Sharks today.

Quinn actually noted that he’s been pleased with Svechnikov’s game recently, but it appears the Russian winger, for now, is a salary cap casualty.

Prospect Eetu Makiniemi was recalled in Aaron Dell’s stead. Dell was sent back to the AHL.

This could just be a reward for Makiniemi, who has enjoyed a solid season with the San Jose Barracuda, sporting a 6-4-1 record with a .918 Save %.

Makinieimi is from the same town as Antti Niemi. He was there when Niemi brought the Stanley Cup to Vantaa in 2010, he remembers getting an autograph (but no picture with the Cup)

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 6, 2022

Makinieimi Healthy, Excited for ‘Good Opportunity’ in Sharks Organization

Quinn tabbed Kaapo Kahkonen as the starter against the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow, and James Reimer hopes to be available in the San Jose Sharks’ next two games after tomorrow, on Friday or Tuesday.

Reimer Hopes to Return Friday or Tuesday

C.J. Suess was also recalled. The 28-year-old winger has been a reliable grinder for the Barracuda this season, posting three goals and seven assists in 22 games.

“He’s a pro. He plays fast,” Quinn said of the six-year AHL veteran, who’s logged four NHL games. “Just his honesty [as a player]. He’s got a little bit of quickness and speed to him.”

We’ve touched on Nieto and Reimer, let’s close up with the other Sharks on IR.

Quinn noted that we shouldn’t expect Ferraro back immediately. Over the weekend, the San Jose Sharks bench boss upgraded Ferraro, who’s suffering a foot injury, from “week-to-week” to “day-to-day”.

Ferraro Shares Details About Injury

“It’s pain tolerance and what he can handle,” Quinn offered, “so it’s gonna take a little longer.”

Finally, Nico Sturm is close, but he’s been close for a while. He shared some of his frustration over his inability to clear the final hurdle of his concussion testing with the Mercury News.

There is some optimism that Nico Sturm can play tomorrow. He feels fine physically but needs to pass off-ice tests to get cleared to play. That hasn't been easy for him so far. #SJSharks

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) December 6, 2022