Ferraro Out 6-8 Weeks, Karlsson Could Be Back Mar. 5

Mario Ferraro’s injury looked bad yesterday, and today’s news confirmed it.

The San Jose Sharks announced this afternoon that Ferraro “underwent surgery today to repair a fracture in his lower left fibula” and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

“His spirits are down. I know he was down after the game last night,” San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner told us today. “With only two months to go in the season, an injury like that, time’s not on his side. It’s a devastating blow for us.”

Ferraro was pushed into the corner boards by the Boston Bruins’ Taylor Hall last night.

Ferraro Leaves Game After “Dirty” Play

Logan Couture, who was on the ice, didn’t see the push but says he heard Ferraro’s scream. Hall got two minutes for interference. Boughner said today that the NHL looked at the replay and determined that the call on the ice was correct.

“He’s one of our heavy-minute defenseman and plays against top lines. That’s gonna hurt just as much as [losing Erik Karlsson] did,” Boughner said.

Speaking of Karlsson, there’s good news on that injury front. Karlsson had left forearm surgery in late January and was expected to be out until at least mid-March. Boughner reported today, however, that Karlsson should practice this Thursday with an eye toward returning to action the following weekend.

In other good news, defenseman Nicolas Meloche is returning tonight after taking a high elbow on Thursday against the New York Islanders, and defenseman Jaycob Megna, out since Feb. 2, is back on the ice after left foot surgery. Boughner did indicate that Megna is farther away from returning than Karlsson.

It’s all probably a little too late though: The San Jose Sharks are nine points out and behind five teams for the last playoff spot in the West. They have 30 games to go and their regular season ends on Apr. 29, approximately nine weeks away.

And of course, the volume of good news today with the Sharks’ defensive corps was overshadowed by the long-term loss of their ebullient alternate captain.

“The thing with Mario that you are gonna miss, Mario’s that guy that keeps the room going, his energy, people feed off of it. We’re gonna miss his physicality. We’re gonna miss his intensity,” Boughner said. “There’s nobody in this room that loves coming to the rink and play more and be around the guys.”