Sharks again hit with injury bug before game against surging Minnesota Wild

SAN JOSE – Sharks forward Adam Gaudette has a lower-body injury and will have to miss Wednesday’s game with the Minnesota Wild, coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

Gaudette was injured during the Sharks’ 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night, with his last shift coming early in the third period. He is now considered day-to-day.

The Sharks finish their homestand with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and the Columbus Blue Jackets next Tuesday.

Gaudette, signed to a two-year, $4 million contract as a free agent in July, has helped solidify the Sharks’ bottom-six forward group with 14 points in 33 games this season. He is also seventh on the team with eight goals, with two coming on the power play.

Taking Gaudette’s spot in the lineup for Wednesday’s game will likely be Pavol Regenda, who was recalled from the Barracuda on Tuesday morning and took part in the Sharks’ early afternoon practice. Regenda was also with the Sharks at the start of December and had two goals in two games before he was returned to the AHL.

Without Gaudette, the Sharks only have 12 healthy forwards on the active roster right now. Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev, both out with upper body injuries, skated Tuesday but remain week-to-week, Warsofsky said.

While the Sharks (19-17-3) enter Wednesday holding the Western Conference’s second wild card spot, the Wild (24-10-6) have won nine of their last 11 games and are third in the Central Division.

With Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes, who Minnesota acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12, in the lineup, the Wild are 6-1-1.

OTHER INJURIES

Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin was injured during Monday’s game and is questionable to play Wednesday, Warsofsky said. Mukhamadullin was on the ice for two Ducks goals, and his failed clearing attempt started a sequence that led to Troy Terry’s goal with 4:02 left in the third period that cut the Sharks’ lead to 5-4.

Asked if Mukhamadullin’s injury affected his performance, “It could. Let’s be honest, it’s an injury. Guys have played through a lot of injuries. (Ty Dellandrea’s) battling it out. (Alexander) Wennberg’s battling it out. So I give (Mukhamadullin) credit for finishing the game.

“Guys did a good job of playing through injuries and kind of just getting through it.”

Sharks defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Timothy Liljegren, both out with upper-body injuries, practiced Tuesday but will not be available to play against the Wild. Desharnais hasn’t played since Nov. 26, when the Sharks were walloped 6-0 by the Colorado Avalanche, and Liljegren’s last game came on Dec. 18, when San Jose lost 5-3 to the Dallas Stars.