SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks placed forward William Eklund on injured reserve on Tuesday and recalled rookie forward Collin Graf from the Barracuda of the AHL.
Eklund (upper body) was injured on Dec. 23 when he was caught by a massive but clean hit by defenseman Tyler Myers in the first period of San Jose’s road game against the Vancouver Canucks. Eklund finished the game but did not play in either the second or third periods in what became a 4-3 Sharks loss.
Eklund, tied for second on the Sharks with 27 points in 35 games, had already missed post-Christmas games against the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames and had been ruled out of Tuesday’s home game with the Philadelphia Flyers. He had been considered day-to-day up until this point.
Because he hasn’t played since Dec. 23, Eklund would be eligible to come off IR as soon as Thursday when the Sharks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. But it is unclear when Eklund, 22, might be healthy enough to return.
Graf, 22, started the season in the AHL and is second on the Barracuda with 26 points in 29 games. He has two points, both assists, in seven career NHL games, all of which came last season after he signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks in April as a free agent out of Quinnipiac University.
It was not immediately clear whether Graf would play against the Flyers. The Sharks are looking to end a seven-game losing streak that began on Dec. 14 as they have fallen to eighth and last place in the Pacific Division.
Center Mikael Granlund has 34 points in 37 games to lead the Sharks, and rookie center Macklin Celebrini has 27 points in 27 games.
Besides Eklund, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky also said Monday that forward Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Jake Walman would not play against the Flyers because of injuries.
Walman (lower body), the Sharks’ top-scoring defenseman with 25 points in 31 games, hasn’t played since he was injured in the Sharks’ game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 21, and Grundstrom (upper body) was hurt in the first period of Saturday’s game against Calgary off a hit from Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal. Both players remain on the Sharks’ active roster.
Following Thursday’s game against the Lightning, the Sharks finish their homestand with games against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 7.
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