Preview/Lines #19: Labanc Injured by Slew Foot, Sturm Update

A tough season for Kevin Labanc just got tougher.

Labanc has just two assists in 13 games and is playing just 13:02 a game, a career-low.

Now, he’s going to be out with what the San Jose Sharks hope is just a day-to-day upper-body injury.

Head coach David Quinn reported that Labanc is suffering the aftereffects of the Nils Hoglander slew foot on Monday night. Hoglander was ejected from the contest and the Sharks received a five-minute power play at the end of the second period. Labanc returned to start the third, and after the game, Quinn said Labanc was fine.

That's a slew foot by Hoglander. pic.twitter.com/cEDH8aI4Vj

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) November 21, 2023

“You get hit like that, the adrenaline’s flowing, you want to get back in, give him a lot of credit. Then all of a sudden, the adrenaline stops, maybe you’re more injured than you thought, initially,” Quinn said today.

Along with getting tossed, Hoglander received a $2,864.58 fine for the slew foot. He said the slew foot was an accident.

“I’m happy I didn’t get suspended. I’ll take that fine and hopefully I don’t do that again,” he told Vancouver Canucks media on Tuesday. “It goes so fast out there. Just try to battle out there. My leg came behind his leg or whatever. I didn’t do it on purpose. Those plays, just sometimes, they just happen.”

Consequently, the San Jose Sharks are running an 11 forwards-seven defensemen line-up tonight. It doesn’t appear as if they’re calling anybody up from the San Jose Barracuda for Labanc, and they do return to San Jose right after the game, in preparation for a Friday home tilt with the Montreal Canadiens.

For what it’s worth, Quinn shared that center Nico Sturm, who didn’t make this two-game road trip because he’s in Germany attending to a personal family matter, is expected to be ready or Friday’s game.

San Jose Sharks (3-15-1)

Kahkonen starts. Labanc is out, they're going 11-7. Knyzhov in, otherwise same defense.

Labanc is hurt, upper-body, effects of Hoglander slew foot came days later

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 22, 2023

Quinn had said yesterday that he planned to play Tomas Hertl, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund together once again.

Seattle Kraken (7-8-5)

This is how the Kraken practiced yesterday:

#SeaKraken going with same lines at this morning’s practice.

McCann – Beniers – Eberle
Schwartz – Wennberg – Tanev
Tolvanen – Gourde – Bjorkstrand
Kartye – Bellemare – Yamamoto

Dunn – Larsson
Oleksiak – Borgen
Dumoulin – Schultz

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 21, 2023

Joey Daccord will start.

Where to Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken is 7 PM PT at Climate Pledge Arena. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.