Star Sharks Prospects Close to Return to Practice

The San Jose Sharks are close to getting a significant infusion of talent back on the ice.

Since the beginning of training camp on Sept. 19, defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, have been sidelined with “day-to-day” injuries

“Mukh is getting close here to probably practicing, as is Askarov,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said on Thursday. “Vlasic is a little bit further away.”

Mukhamadullin, Askarov, and Vlasic have all been skating on their own since Monday. Next step is practice, then game action.

Warsofsky said it was a “big if” for Mukhamadullin or Askarov to play in either of the San Jose Sharks’ last two preseason games on Oct. 4 against the Anaheim Ducks or Oct. 5 at the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Sharks’ next game is their regular season opener on Oct. 10 against the St. Louis Blues.

That’s likely the earliest we’d see Mukhamadullin or Askarov in a game.

Mukhamadullin, lower-body, was a 2024 AHL All-Star and one of the Sharks’ top prospects. His return would be huge addition to a San Jose blueline that has only six healthy and experienced blueliners right now, Matt Benning, Cody Ceci, Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Henry Thrun, and Jake Walman.

Askarov, lower-body, was also a 2024 AHL All-Star and is considered one of the best goalie prospects in the world. He might start the season with the San Jose Barracuda, but he’s expected to take over the net for the Sharks sooner than later.

Another star Sharks prospect, Macklin Celebrini, who left Tuesday’s exhibition game against Utah Hockey Club with a lower-body injury, did not practice once again on Thursday, but he also should be back on the ice soon. A source told San Jose Hockey Now that the injury was “nothing serious at all”.