Preview/Lines #29: What Happened With Eklund, Bailey in Vegas?

William Eklund was supposed to play on Sunday night in Vegas.

He participated in warm-ups and was even on Golden Knights PR’s line sheets.

Ready to 🎲 roll 🎲 here in Vegas! pic.twitter.com/DtHbC37s2R

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 11, 2023

pic.twitter.com/bwVNsPXicI

— VGK Communications (@VGK_PR) December 11, 2023

But something happened on the way to the drop of the puck.

“It was something that happened during warm-ups,” the 21-year-old winger confirmed to San Jose Hockey Now today.

Per San Jose Sharks PR, Eklund was felled by a lower-body injury.

Good news, he’s back in the line-up tonight, on his regular line with Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov.

“Thank God it was only a 24-hour deal,” head coach David Quinn said.

San Jose Sharks (8-17-3)

Slowly but surely, the San Jose Sharks are getting healthier.

While Matt Benning was put on IR today, Luke Kunin was activated off IR, and Logan Couture appears to be inching toward a return.

Quinn says Kunin is unlikely to return tonight, but it’s looking good for him to come back soon, regardless.

Meanwhile, late scratch Eklund and Anthony Duclair, who left the Vegas game after being shouldered in the head by Keegan Kolesar, are back in the line-up.

Justin Bailey also left Sunday’s tilt, but he came back late. Quinn says that the concussion spotter in Vegas thought Bailey hit his head during an early third period fall, but it was actually a shoulder.

Bailey came back with 4:08 to go to notch an assist on the late Calen Addison goal that made it Golden Knights, 4-3, and was on the ice for Mike Hoffman’s game-tying marker.

“He came back with a cape on,” Quinn quipped today.

MacKenzie Blackwood was first off and should draw the start.

#SJSharks lines at morning skate, both Eklund and Duclair participating:

Eklund-Hertl-Barabanov
Duclair-Granlund-Zetterlund
Bailey-Sturm-Hoffman
MacDonald-Zadina-Labanc

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 12, 2023

Good sign for Eklund & Duclair's inclusion in line-up, good on Zadina to work his way back into PP

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 12, 2023

Winnipeg Jets (16-8-2)

#NHLJets line rushes here at the Shark Tank.

Ehlers-Scheifele-Vilardi
Perfetti-Namestnikov-Barron
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
AJF-Gustafsson-Iafallo

Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt

Chisholm, Stanley extra pair.

No Connor.

Brossoit in starter’s net. pic.twitter.com/1j9yk8JO0n

— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) December 12, 2023

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.