Sharks’ top-scoring winger returns, will play against New Jersey Devils

SAN JOSE — Forward William Eklund will return to the lineup on Saturday when the San Jose Sharks play the New Jersey Devils, looking for their second consecutive win.

Eklund, who missed four games, is tied for second on the Sharks with 27 points in 36 games. San Jose went 1-3-0 in his absence and entered Saturday in eighth and last place in the Pacific Division with 30 points.

Eklund will play on a line with center Mikael Granlund and fellow winger Fabian Zetterlund. Granlund, the oldest of the trio at 32, leads the Sharks with 35 points in 39 games.

“Grandpa (Granlund) there can help them out a little bit,” Warsofsky said the line with Eklund, 22, and Zetterlund, 25. “He takes him under their wing. He’s helping these two young players, who are still trying to figure out how to play consistently in this league, and I think Granlund’s done a great job of helping them individually.

“But they’ve also, obviously, had some chemistry this year. I’ve said it for the last few games: we’ve got to get some lines going here, chemistry-wise.”

Granlund’s production has slowed recently, with three assists in eight games, but Warsofsky said his overall play has been better.

“Last game, he was skating, he was engaged in the hockey game,” Warsofsky said of Granlund. “He’s had a tough task. We’re asking to match up against really good centers and (collect) points. … So he’s had a tough task here as of late, just trying to get his offense going, because I think he’s so on the defensive side of it.

“But we’ve got to get him going.”

To create a roster opening for Eklund, the Sharks placed defenseman Jake Walman (lower-body injury) on injured reserve.

Walman, who hasn’t played since he was injured in the Sharks’ Dec. 21 game against the Edmonton Oilers, skated for a third consecutive day Saturday morning, but it remains unclear when he might be able to return. Warsofsky said Walman would have to go through a full practice before playing in a game.

Sharks center Nico Sturm, considered questionable to play against the Devils, will be scratched. Luke Kunin will take Sturm’s spot as the Sharks’ fourth-line center. Sturm blocked a shot from defenseman Darren Raddysh in the first period of Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and did not skate Friday.

Goalie Yaroslav Askarov will start again for the Sharks after he made 24 saves in San Jose’s 2-1 win over the Lightning. Since rejoining the Sharks on Dec. 18, Askarov, in four games, is 1-2-1 with a .919 save percentage.

Askarov was recalled from the Barracuda of the AHL after goalie Vitek Vanecek sustained a fractured cheek on Dec. 17 when he was hit in the face by an errant puck that had sailed into the bench.

The Sharks haven’t won back-to-back games since beating the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 30 and the Washington Capitals on Dec. 3. Since then, San Jose has gone 2-10-1, with four of those regulation time losses by one goal.

With Walman having to miss the last five games, Henry Thrun has filled in on the Sharks’ top defense pair with Cody Ceci.

In that time, Thrun has averaged 19:53 in ice time, including playing over 21 minutes in three of the last four games. Thrun played 21:16 and had four shots on goal and two blocked shots in Thursday’s win.

“I liked Henry’s game against a really skilled team, and he’ll have another tough task tonight,” Warsofsky said of the skilled Devils, led by center Jack Hughes. “But I think his game, since he came out of the lineup there (for three games in mid-December), he’s put some games together. He’s stacked some games and at the NHL level, that’s what it’s about. You stack your games together, and then maybe you have one where it’s your ‘C’ game, and you still find a way to be effective.

“So I gave him a lot of credit. Another guy, again, who struggled at times, but as a young defenseman, he’s learning. He’s getting better. He’s taking the coaching, and then you’re seeing the results from it.”