San Jose Sharks' Will Smith (2) warms up before a game against the Anaheim Ducks at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Rookie forward Will Smith has an upper-body injury and will not play Saturday when the San Jose Sharks face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
Smith, who has 11 points in 23 games this season, is considered day-to-day. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday that he wasn’t exactly sure when Smith was injured, only that it happened near the end of a recent game.
After they play the Panthers, the Sharks next face the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday and finish their road trip on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.
With Smith out, rookie Ethan Cardwell will draw back into the Sharks lineup.
The Sharks are also making one change on defense, with Henry Thrun replacing Jack Thompson.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood will start for the Sharks, who are looking to bounce back after an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Please check back for updates to this story.
Originally published at Curtis Pashelka