Sharks Practice: Why Did Granlund Miss It? New Second-Line Center?

NEWARK, N.J. — Mikael Granlund missed practice.

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky called it just a maintenance day, however, and says Granlund will play on Sunday against the New Jersey Devils.

It was an otherwise full practice, and the lines had some interesting new looks:

Dellandrea-Celebrini-Toffoli
Eklund-W. Smith-Zetterlund
Kunin-Wennberg-Goodrow
G. Smith-Sturm-Grundstrom

Walman-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Thrun-Rutta

Keep in mind, these lines aren’t set. The only thing that Warsofsky committed to was Granlund playing.

Winger Klim Kostin and defenseman Jack Thompson also mixed in during practice.

Best guess, Granlund takes back his left wing spot on the top line, and Dellandrea takes Givani Smith’s place on the fourth line tomorrow.

Jake Walman, nursing an upper-body injury, participated in full, and was back on his customary pairing with Cody Ceci.

Walman and Warsofsky said he’d be a game-time decision.

It was interesting to see Mario Ferraro with Timothy Liljegren, which always seemed to be a logical plan when the San Jose Sharks acquired the right-handed puck-mover from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. Liljegren had been on the bottom pairing, perhaps Warsofsky was just waiting for his new defenseman to get up to speed.

We’ll see if Will Smith second-line center and Liljegren second-pairing defenseman is a thing tomorrow.