The Sharks announced today that forwards Will Smith and Phillipe Kurashev were placed on IR, Ethan Cardwell and Igor Chernyshov have been recalled from the Barracuda in their place. No information or timeline has been given on Smith and Kurashev’s injuries, but both left in the middle of the Sharks' comeback win against the Penguins on Saturday.
Will Smith left the game in the 3rd period after taking a big hit from Parker Wotherspoon, came up favoring his shoulder, went straight to the Sharks' Locker room, and did not return. It would be a massive blow if he were to miss significant time. The 20-year-old is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign with 29 points in 33 games, good for a 72-point pace per 82 games, and has been a fixture on a line with Macklin Celebrini all season.
Kurashev has played well for the Sharks this season, jumping around the top 9 and putting up 15 points for the Sharks, hovering around a 40-point pace on the season. Between both Kurahev and Smith, the Sharks are losing a lot of firepower from a lineup that already lacked depth to begin with.
They will try to replace their production with two prospects recalled from the Barracuda. Ethan Cardwell is getting his 2nd call-up of the season, having played in 4 games and scored a goal. In the AHL, he has 9 points in 14 games for the Cuda. Cardwell is in his 3rd pro season and could get his biggest opportunity at the NHL level to date. Cardwell plays with a high motor and has some solid skills that have allowed him to score at the AHL level. In 10 NHL games, he has 2 goals, mainly playing 4th-line minutes. If he is given more ice time, we could see if he can translate the play he showed this pre-season when playing higher in the lineup.
The other prospect getting the call is Igor Chernyshov. The 2024 2nd-round pick emerged as a top prospect for the Sharks after scoring 55 points in 23 OHL games a season ago, playing alongside Michael Misa. Expectations were high for Cehrnyshov in his first pro season, and he has done a solid job so far this season with 23 points in 25 AHL games, leading the Cuda in scoring. If the Sharks are calling up Cheryshov, they likely plan on giving him top-6 minutes, so he should get a solid chance to show what he can do at the highest level. Chernyshov brings an element to the Sharks that they lack in the top 6 with his 6-3 frame and power-forward game, and could be a nice complement to their smaller, skilled forwards. If he plays well, he could very well put the AHL behind him even when Smith and Kurashev return from injury—similar to Collin Graf’s mid-season call-up last season.