Preview/Lines #30: “Reset” for Mukhamadullin?

The San Jose Sharks are calling scratching Shakir Mukhamadullin for consecutive games, and possible three in a row on Sunday, a reset.

“We wanted to give Shak a little reset here,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky told San Jose Hockey Now after Saturday’s practice.

Shakir Mukhamadullin has struggled recently, and SJHN asked Warsofsky about Mukhamadullin’s confidence and coachability yesterday.

Warsofsky also spoke on Sam Dickinson’s ups and downs this season.

Here’s the full transcript:

Sheng Peng: Where is Shakir Mukhamadullin’s confidence at?

Ryan Warsofsky: We wanted to give Shak a little reset here, and get to work with him, using his body. He needs to get into people. So that was a big area that needs to get cleaned up, and it needs to get better, and it needs to get better quickly.

This is the National Hockey League. Yeah, we want him to get confident, he’s a young defenseman, but he’s gotten some play here, he’s gotten his minutes. He’s got to play better. And that’s been the message.

We don’t want our young guys sitting out too long. He may play [against Carolina]. We’ll see.

SP: How is Shakir receiving the message? So these scratches are more part of a larger plan than punitive?

RW: There’s a plan in place for pretty much every player on our team, as far as development goes. There’s been a lot of conversations, there’s a lot of communication.

He knows exactly where it is, and he knows he needs to be better when he gets back in there. So that’s a big positive for me. He’s very coachable.

SP: Sam Dickinson looks like he’s playing again, that’s a positive. Where do you see his game right now?

RW: Another guy that he brings a different element. He can move pucks for us, something obviously that we’ve struggled with. And he can get up in the rush, and he’s got some offensive ability.

We’ve still got a long way to go to clean up in his game. He goes a little rogue at times. He needs to be more physical with his body. But there’s been steps that we’ve seen some progress, and there’s still a lot we got to work on.

San Jose Sharks (13-13-3)

This is how the Sharks practiced on Saturday, no guarantee that they play this way on Sunday.

Warsofsky did confirm that Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start.

Graf-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Toffoli
Skinner-Dellandrea-Kurashev
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Gaudette
Reaves

Orlov-Liljegren
Ferraro-Klingberg
Dickinson-Leddy
Mukhamadullin-Iorio

Warsofsky also confirmed that Ryan Reaves, Vincent Iorio, and Mukhamadullin will sit out.

Warsofsky, on decision to sit Mukhamadullin for a 3rd-straight game: "A lot of conversations with Mike and our staff…again, we really liked Mukh. We think he's going to be a really good defenseman. This gives him another skate this morning, another reset."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 7, 2025

Warsofsky, on if Smith goes to the 2nd power play unit (he was there in practice yesterday): "The power play hasn't been good, so you got to make changes. Not just on Will…if he is on that [second] unit, that gives him a chance to run that unit."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 7, 2025

Carolina Hurricanes (17-8-2)

This is how the Canes lined up yesterday in a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators.

Strap on your boots pic.twitter.com/KSmYVU1lTt

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) December 6, 2025

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Carolina Hurricanes is at 2 PM PT at Lenovo Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.