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Sharks Injury Update: Vanecek Nearing Return? Kostin Not Close, More on Toffoli

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Credit: Dean Tait/Sport Shots

NASHVILLE — The San Jose Sharks might have to make a decision about their three goalies soon.



Head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared that Vitek Vanecek, who suffered a fractured cheek when a puck struck him on the bench in mid-December, might be ready to return to practice by the end of this week.

“Definitely progressing, taking shots. We probably envision him getting into practice here, possibly by the end of the week,” Warsofsky said.

Considering the nature of Vanecek’s injury, even taking shots is a big deal.

“We had to let it heal. There was some things that we have to be careful of, right?” Warsofsky shared. “Getting his helmet on, all those things. We’re right around where we thought the timetable was gonna be.”

All that said, Vanecek is still in the early stages of being back on the ice. He’s taking shots from injured Klim Kostin and working with San Jose Sharks director of goaltending Evgeni Nabokov, but not much more than that.

“Gotta see him in practice, and does he look comfortable with traffic around him, with bodies around him? Pucks come in different [places]. It’s very stationary and very direct of what he’s doing [now],” Warsofsky said. “He’s got a little ways to catch up to the game speed.”

So Warsofsky couldn’t offer any timeline for when Vanecek would be ready to play, which would necessitate a decision to be made between Vanecek or veteran Alexandar Georgiev or waivers-exempt Yaroslav Askarov.

“That’s something that we’ll have to make a decision on. It’ll be up to Mike and his staff,” Warsofsky said. “We’re taking this day by day.”

Speaking of Kostin, before the road trip, Warsofsky held out hope that Kostin or Nikolai Kovalenko could join midway.

Kovalenko is playing on Tuesday night at the Nashville Predators, but Kostin and his lower-body injury didn’t get to a good-enough place.

Warsofsky is not anticipating a return very soon for the power winger.

“He’s progressing. He’s skating again,” Warsofsky said. “He’s a little ways away here, not really in a day-to-day category.”

Tyler Toffoli is not skating, though he’s still traveling on the San Jose Sharks road trip.

Toffoli suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s morning skate, missing that night’s tilt at the New York Islanders.

Warosfsky still considers him day-to-day.

“We’ll see how he is when we get back to San Jose,” he said.

The San Jose Sharks fly back home on Tuesday night, have Wednesday off, and play again on Thursday night at SAP Center against these same Preds.

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