Sharks Will Know More About Mukhamadullin, Gushchin Injuries by End of Week

Shakir Mukhamadullin is injured.

The star San Jose Sharks prospect missed his second-straight AHL game tonight, a 5-4 loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

After the game, San Jose Barracuda head John McCarthy said that Mukhamadullin has an upper-body injury: “They’re still talking about it. We should know more by the end of the week.”

Mukhamadullin last played on Feb. 15, a 4-0 loss to Coachella Valley. He appeared to finish that contest with no obvious injury.

Hopefully, Mukhamadullin’s injury is minor. The Cuda, still trying to make a desperation playoff push, are 10 points back with 23 games to go, and will need all the help that they can get.

Losing their top offensive defenseman and their lone AHL All-Star won’t help.

Speaking of, Danil Gushchin was supposed to appear in the AHL All-Star Game on Feb. 5, but hasn’t played since last January because of an upper-body injury.

“Same deal kind of [like Mukhamadullin],” McCarthy said, “we should know more by the end of the week.”

The top San Jose Sharks prospect is second on the Cuda with 37 points in 39 games, and hasn’t played since Jan. 26.

He may have had a setback. Barracuda announcer Nick Nollenberger had reported earlier in the month that the playmaking winger could return soon.

Per @NickNollen, Danil Gushchin could be ready to return on Wednesday night for the San Jose Barracuda.

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) February 11, 2024

Instead?

“Mostly off-ice right now,” McCarthy said of Gushchin’s activity level at the moment.

Finally, McCarthy addressed the continued absence of Eetu Makiniemi, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26.

On Feb. 10, San Jose Hockey Now was told that Makiniemi was ill. It was also stressed that Makiniemi’s injury was not related at all to his recent hip troubles.

My understanding is Makiniemi is ill, that’s good, considering his injury history.

Chrona, Wiesblatt, Vincent also among those almost back: https://t.co/ajEA7PDD8D

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 11, 2024

McCarthy reiterated, 11 days later, that the San Jose Sharks goaltending prospect is still ill, and that this prolonged absence has nothing to do with his hip.

That’s a very long illness, and bears investigating.

Special thanks to Marko Ukalovic for his help with this article.