SAN JOSE – The Sharks placed Matt Nieto on injured reserve Tuesday amidst a dizzying day of transactions but could get another top-nine forward back for Wednesday’s game with the Vancouver Canucks.
Center Nico Sturm was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice but still needed to pass off-ice tests to get cleared to play as he works his way back from a head injury he suffered more than two weeks ago.
Sturm’s last game came against the New York Rangers on Nov. 19 when he was the recipient of a hard check into the boards that resulted in him going face-first into the glass. The Sharks lost that game and have since gone 2-5-1 to fall to seventh place in the Pacific Division.
Sturm said Tuesday that he feels fine physically but still needed to pass tests related to memory and reaction time, which hasn’t been easy.
“It’s just something that you can’t see, necessarily, or can’t feel, per se, until you get the results,” Sturm said, adding that it’s frustrating, “when your body does one thing and then the results are completely different.
“But I’ve been skating really hard for the last seven days. I’ve just got to get through the test and get the results that the doctors want to see.”
Nieto, a key penalty killer who has largely played on the Sharks’ second line this season, was on the receiving end of a thunderous hit from Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the second period of Sunday’s game at Keybank Center.
Nieto finished the game, a 6-3 Sharks loss, but was not feeling well Tuesday as he underwent off-ice tests.
The Sharks’ other second-line winger, Alexander Barabanov, left the ice for unknown reasons midway through Tuesday’s practice, so captain Logan Couture’s linemates were Noah Gregor and Nick Bonino.
The Sharks, as of Tuesday afternoon, had five players on IR, including goalie James Reimer and defenseman Mario Ferraro. The absences come just as the Sharks (8-16-4) try to pull out of a funk that has seen them lose six of seven games.
“Everybody goes through it,” Sharks coach David Quinn said of the injuries. “I literally don’t spend two seconds on it. It’s part of sports, it’s part of coaching and you’ve got to manage your roster and guys have to step up. It’s an opportunity for other people, and that’s really all you can do.”
With Reimer still unavailable, the Sharks recalled goalie Eetu Makiniemi and forward C.J. Suess from the Barracuda on Tuesday and returned Aaron Dell to the AHL. San Jose also placed forward Evgeny Svechnikov on waivers.
Reimer skated Tuesday after the Sharks completed their practice, a good sign for him as he works his way back from a lower-body injury that he recently re-aggravated. A timeline for his return hasn’t been determined but Reimer said he’d like to be available to play Friday in Anaheim or next Tuesday at home against Arizona.
Makiniemi, acquired by the Sharks on July 13 as part of the deal that sent Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes, owned a 6-4-1 record and a .918 save percentage with one shutout in 12 games with the Barracuda this season.
This is Makiniemi’s first time on an NHL roster as he played exclusively with the Chicago Wolves last season, going 11-2-1 with a .922 save percentage. Makiniemi’s season was cut short after he had back surgery, but was around the Wolves, coached by Sharks assistant Ryan Warsofsky, as they went on to win the Calder Cup.
The Sharks traded Burns and forward Lane Pederson to the Hurricanes for forward Steven Lorentz and Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 third-round draft pick. The Sharks also retained 34 percent, or $2.72 million, of Burns’ $8 million cap hit.
“I’m really excited to be here and this is a new opportunity for me,” Makiniemi said. “Everything’s new, so I need to just learn from it.”
Suess, 28, was signed by the Sharks to a two-way deal in July. In 22 games with the Barracuda, he had three goals and seven assists. If he plays Wednesday, it would be his fifth career NHL game and his first since Jan. 13 when he was with the Winnipeg Jets.
Quinn said the decision to place Svechnikov on waivers wasn’t related to his play, as the Sharks needed to clear salary cap space. Svechnikov had over 16 minutes of ice time Sunday in Buffalo, and Quinn was concerned that the Russian forward might get picked up by another team.
“I’ve liked his last two games,” Quinn said of Svechnikov. “He’s played well.”
Dell, 33, went 0-2-0 for the Sharks with a .897 save percentage after he was recalled from the Barracuda on Nov. 26. On Sunday in Buffalo, Dell stopped 32 of 37 shots in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Sabres that closed out a 1-3-0 road trip.
