Injury Update: 3 Sharks Out Until After 4 Nations, Vanecek To Play for Cuda This Weekend

The San Jose Sharks are going to be missing some key role players for a while.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared that Nico Sturm, Klim Kostin, and Jan Rutta would not be available until after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The San Jose Sharks’ last game before 4 Nations is Feb. 8 against the Dallas Stars, their first game after the tournament is Feb. 23 at the Calgary Flames.

Sturm, San Jose’s fourth-line center, has a lower-body injury suffered against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 20.

Kostin, a power winger, has been out since Jan. 10 with a lower-body injury.

Rutta, a stay-at-home defenseman, has been out since Jan. 23 with a lower-body injury.

Warsofsky did say that all three skaters should be back after 4 Nations, or shortly thereafter. That might be especially relevant for Trade Deadline candidates and pending UFAs Sturm and Rutta.

The Trade Deadline is Mar. 7.

In better San Jose Sharks injury news, both Ty Dellandrea and Vitek Vanecek are working their way back into the line-up.

Dellandrea, out with an upper-body injury since Jan. 23 because of a high Cole Smith hit, skated on Wednesday on his own.

Warsofsky says he’s a possibility to return before 4 Nations.

And Vanecek, out since mid-December because of a fractured cheek, was assigned to the San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning assignment today. Two weeks is the maximum for such an assignment.

Warsofsky says Vanecek will start a game this weekend, and the San Jose Sharks will take it from there. The Barracuda welcome the Henderson Silver Knights to Tech CU Arena on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

The veteran netminder is also a pending UFA.