It’s been a tumultuous week for the San Jose Sharks on the injury front, but more reinforcements are joining team teal. After the Logan Couture suffered a fractured right fibula at the ankle during a practice session last week, the Sharks recalled 2014 first-round pick Nikolay Goldobin who scored last time out against the New York Islanders.
With Joonas Donskoi, Ben Smith and Melker Karlsson also battling injuries, San Jose made another move today to help bolster their lineup before their game tonight against the New York Rangers. Earlier today, general manager Doug Wilson announced that the Sharks recalled forward Bryan Lerg from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
More from Sharks News
- Norris Trophy odds show Erik Karlsson a step above the rest
- Red hot Couture provides a much needed boost
- Sharks return to SAP in sight
- Ryan Donato shines in his revenge game
- Tomas Hertl is off to a hot start
The 29-year-old Lerg is serving as captain of the Barracuda for the second consecutive season, and he is second on the team with two goals through the first three games with six shots on net. Lerg made his NHL debut with the Sharks in San Jose’s final two games last year. He scored the game-winning goal in his first career game against the Edmonton Oilers in a 3-1 Sharks’ victory on April 9.
Lerg won’t have to wait long this season to see NHL action as he’s expected to take Smith’s spot in the fourth-line center role for San Jose against the Rangers according to Kevin Kurz of Comast Sportsnet Bay Area.
Also, with Lerg and Goldobin recalled, the Sharks announced that Couture is being placed on injured reserve. This isn’t a surprise as Wilson expected Couture to miss at least 4-6 weeks while recovering from the injury. Obviously, San Jose isn’t expecting Lerg or Goldobin to come in and try to replace all that Couture does for this hockey team.
The Sharks need them both to play meaningful minutes, and they can’t be costing San Jose when they’re on the ice. San Jose will need to remain afloat, and their depth is being tested early on in this new season.
Luckily for the Sharks, Martin Jones has been stellar in the early going, and he may be leaned upon to help San Jose push forward despite the rash of injuries they’ve incurred.
It’s great for Lerg to get another crack at the NHL level, but it’s unfortunate for the Sharks that it had to come at the expense of one of their leaders. Let’s see how they’re able to respond as adversity has hit this team just five games into their season.
Next: Logan Couture Out 4-6 Weeks