Poturalski, Schuldt, Askarov, Bystedt Injury Updates + Cagnoni Sent Down

There’s good and bad injury news for the San Jose Barracuda.

It’s bad news, if you’re looking just at their key Wednesday night match-up against the Ontario Reign.

Star center Andrew Poturalski has a week-to-week lower-body injury. The injury doesn’t require surgery, and there’s hope that he’ll be back before the end of the regular season.

The AHL’s leading scorer left the second period of last Friday’s 5-1 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks.

Captain Jimmy Schuldt has a day-to-day lower-body injury, and will not be available for this Wednesday’s game.

The shutdown defenseman actually got hurt with the San Jose Sharks, leaving Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers early.

In their places, the San Jose Sharks have sent down center Patrick Giles and defenseman Luca Cagnoni. Rearguard Jack Thompson is going back to the Sharks, who have their share of injury issues on the blueline.

Finally, goalie Yaroslav Askarov (lower-body injury) and center Filip Bystedt (upper-body injury), both out since Feb. 19, appear to be on the verge of being full practice participants.

San Jose Hockey Now was told that both should practice this week, a big step toward their returns.

An Askarov return would be especially huge for the Barracuda: First-year pro Gabriel Carriere has done a credible job as the No. 1 netminder since the star San Jose Sharks prospect went down, but he’s been pulled in his last two starts.

The Barracuda are currently fifth place in the Pacific Division with 73 points and a .570 Points %. The top-seven teams in the division make the playoffs. That includes second-seed Reign, who have 80 points and a .625 Points %.

The eighth-place Tucson Roadrunners have 65 points and a .508 Points %. Both San Jose and Tucson each have eight games left, so the Cuda aren’t out of the woods just yet.

The Barracuda also have a tough schedule to close out their regular season, as most of their games are against teams currently above them, including two against No. 1 Colorado Eagles, three against Ontario, and one against No. 4 Coachella Valley Firebirds. They also close the year with a pair of games in Calgary against the sixth-seeded Wranglers.

Just three of those eight games will be at home, this Wednesday versus the Reign, and an Apr. 11-12 series against the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate.