Granlund Should Be Ready Soon, But Sharks Could Hold Off Return

The San Jose Sharks haven’t played a game yet with all of their best players this season.

Logan Couture missed the first 45 games of the year, finally making his season debut two games ago against the Anaheim Ducks. But right before Couture’s return, Mikael Granlund left a game in Chicago with a week-to-week upper-body injury.

There was some optimism, initially, that Granlund could come back relatively quickly, as soon as later this week.

But it looks like the San Jose Sharks will have to wait until after the All-Star and bye breaks to field their top squad.

“We get that two-week break,” head coach David Quinn said yesterday. “Playing him a game when he might be ready, you may want to say let’s hold him until the break ends.”

San Jose Hockey Now is hearing the same elsewhere, that Granlund should be ready to play in 7–10 days, which could put him in line to suit up for the Sharks’ last game before the break on Jan. 31 in Anaheim — or perhaps, even earlier — but why rush it?

Quinn doubled down on this during today’s optional morning skate. Granlund did participate, though he didn’t look quite 100 percent.

“I don’t know. I mean, in my mind, it makes no sense,” Quinn said about bringing Granlund back early. “Put him out there and get one game before the break, and all of a sudden? He’s got an opportunity to get three full weeks without missing any hockey games. You don’t get that opportunity very often. So unless he’s begging me and telling me I’m 100 percent fine, I don’t see the point of it.”

So the good news for the Sharks is that Granlund’s injury, as first reported here, should not end up being too severe.

BREAKING: Granlund Should Avoid Surgery, Has Week-to-Week Injury

Bad news? They won’t have a chance to post their best line-up for another three weeks.

The San Jose Sharks’ first game after the break is on Feb. 14 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.