Smith suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday's rollercoaster 6-5 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, and will be sidelined for at least a week after being placed on Injured Reserve. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.
Dellandrea only played 12:50 time-on-ice in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and is questionable for Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old forward has nine points (2G / 7A) in 32 games this season.
Ostapchuk will take a seat on Thursday after featuring in each of San Jose's last three games. Jeff Skinner will draw into the lineup in his place.
Skinner will slot right back into the Sharks lineup after sitting out Tuesday's game in Philadelphia. Zack Ostapchuk will sit in his place.
Yaroslav Askarov has been battling an illness and, though he appears to be back to full health, will serve as the backup to Nedeljkovic on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old Nedeljkovic has had an up-and-down season with San Jose, posting a 3.02 GAA and .899 SV% in 14 games (4-6-2). That said, he has played well lately, allowing three or fewer goals in nine of his last 10 games (3-6-1) while posting a .911 SV%. The Sharks enter Thursday's contest as +171 road underdogs against a surging Maple Leafs team with points in five straight games (4-0-1).
Connor Hellebuyck (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday, but Comrie will continue to occupy the crease on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. The 30-year-old Comrie has struggled, as have the Jets, since Hellebuyck's injury, posting a concerning sub- .800 SV% in three of his last five games (1-3-1). He has a 3.16 GAA and .892 SV% in 14 games this season (6-7-1). The Jets enter Thursday's contest as -148 home favorites against a Bruins team that has scored four or more goals in four straight games (3-1-0).
The Jets have fallen down the standings since the absence of Connor Hellebuyck (knee), going 3-5-1 in nine games, relying almost exclusively on Eric Comrie. Understandably, the 30-year-old Comrie has been unable to fill the void of the three-time Vezina-winning goalie, but he has still posted less-than-ideal results. Comrie has a 2.90 GAA and .892 SV% in eight games (2-5-1) since Hellebucyk's injury. The Jets enter Tuesday's contest as +115 home underdogs against one of the hottest teams in the NHL, the Dallas Stars, who are 13-1-2 in their last 16 games.
Askarov has earned primary duties between the pipes for the Sharks, but has struggled in the past two weeks, posting a 3.20 GAA and .869 SV% in his last five games (2-3-0). He will not play on Tuesday due to an illness, allowing Alex Nedeljkovic to tend the twine against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Yaroslav Askarov is battling an illness, resulting in Nedeljkovic returning to the crease for a second consecutive game. Askarov has earned an uptick in goaltending responsibilities in recent weeks, but Nedeljkovic has played well in limited action. He saved 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and has a solid 2.50 GAA and .905 SV% in his last 11 outings (4-6-1). The Sharks enter Tuesday's contest as +144 road underdogs against a Philadelphia Flyers team that has lost two of their last three games (1-2-0).
Ryan Reaves will draw back into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, resulting in Skinner being the odd man out as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Skinner has failed to impress in his first season with the Sharks, scoring seven points (4G / 3A) in 19 games and has been held off the scoresheet in six straight.
The Jets have fallen down the standings since the absence of Connor Hellebuyck (knee), going 3-5-1 in nine games, relying almost exclusively on Eric Comrie. Understandably, the 30-year-old Comrie has been unable to fill the void of the three-time Vezina-winning goalie, but he has still posted less-than-ideal results. Comrie has a 2.90 GAA and .892 SV% in eight games (2-5-1) since Hellebucyk's injury. The Jets enter Tuesday's contest as +115 home underdogs against one of the hottest teams in the NHL, the Dallas Stars, who are 13-1-2 in their last 16 games.
Comrie and the Jets have struggled lately and lost 3-2 in a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday despite Comrie's best performance, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935 SV%), since Connor Hellebuyck (knee) has been sidelined. The 30-year-old Comrie has a 2.99 GAA and .897 SV% in 11 games (5-5-1) and will be desperate to return to the win column on Friday against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres. The Jets enter Friday's contest as -129 home favourites.
Skinner has not played in three weeks due to a lower-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Friday against the Dallas Stars. The 33-year-old Skinner, in his first season with the Sharks, has seven points (4G / 3A) in 17 games.
