Sharks Injury Update: What’s Going on With Wennberg, Sturm, Kovalenko, Rutta?

The San Jose Sharks should get some reinforcements after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

The Sharks will take on the Dallas Stars on Saturday, their last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off. Their next game is Feb. 23 at the Calgary Flames.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Alex Wennberg, Nico Sturm, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Jan Rutta, all on IR: “We think they’ll all be really close, if not ready to go, by after the break.”

Klim Kostin (lower-body), also on IR, could be an option for the Stars game.

Eklund, Toffoli & Poturalski are all maintenance days, all should be available tomorrow.

Kostin also could be an option.

Warsofsky declined to name his starter tomorrow.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 7, 2025

The San Jose Sharks’ next practice is scheduled for Feb. 18.

Related, pending UFAs Sturm and Rutta are candidates to be moved by the Mar. 7 Trade Deadline.

Fourth-line center Sturm has been out since Jan. 21 with a right foot injury.

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

Both are Stanley Cup winners, Rutta with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, Sturm with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Neither will command a significant return, but the role players could help a contender.

Middle-six center Wennberg has been out since Jan. 27 with an upper-body injury. The San Jose Sharks, especially after trading top center Mikael Granlund, miss Wennberg’s all-around play.

Wennberg has eight goals and 23 points in 52 games.

Playmaking winger Kovalenko has been out since Jan. 30 with an upper-body injury.

Kovalenko, 25, looks to have a real opportunity to establish himself as an NHL regular after the 4 Nations break, especially if more Sharks’ veterans get dealt by the Deadline.

The rookie has one goal and seven assists in 17 games since coming to the San Jose Sharks in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade.