San Jose Sharks winger’s season in question after latest injury

Alexander Barabanov’s often frustrating season – and his tenure with the San Jose Sharks – is in question as coach David Quinn said Thursday the winger is now considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Barabanov was injured Tuesday as he blocked a shot in the second period of the Sharks’ home game against the Dallas Stars. Barabanov did not play in the third period as the Sharks lost 6-3, marking their eighth straight defeat.

Barabanov, who was spotted wearing a protective boot after Tuesday’s game, did not travel to Minnesota as the Sharks begin a two-game road trip against the Wild on Thursday. San Jose also plays in St. Louis on Saturday night.

Even though the Sharks only have 10 games and three weeks left in the regular season after Thursday, Quinn did not want to rule Barabanov out from returning to the team.

“As far as the rest of the season, hopefully, he can get better this week,” said Quinn, who declined to say whether Barabanov had an X-ray on the injured area. “When we say week-to-week, hopefully, it’s just this week and not the following week.”

Barabanov had 48 points in 67 games with the Sharks last season but was never able to find a rhythm offensively this season, as he has just 13 points in 46 games.

Injuries and illness played a role, as Barabanov broke his finger while blocking a shot in an Oct. 24 game in Florida and missed the next six weeks. He then tested positive for COVID before Christmas and missed two games.

Barabanov appeared to be on his way out of San Jose before the NHL trade deadline on March 8 as he was held out of the Sharks’ lineup for a game the night before against the New York Islanders.

However, with the Sharks retaining salary in the trade that saw Tomas Hertl go to the Vegas Golden Knights, the team was unable to keep any money on their books for any other deals. That reportedly caused a Barabanov trade to the New York Rangers to fall through.

NHL teams are only allowed to retain salary on three players, and the Sharks already had two of those spots taken up in the trades that saw Brent Burns go to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022 and Erik Karlsson go to the Pittsburgh Penguins last year.

Quinn felt Barabanov was playing some of his best hockey of the season after the deadline, as the forward had a goal and two assists in eight games while averaging close to 15 minutes of ice time.

“It was injuries that I think played a major role in (his slow start),” Quinn said, “and then all of a sudden the season starts getting away from you. When you get back in the lineup, you probably get away from doing the things you need to do.

“I really thought he was playing his best hockey before he got hurt.”

Barabanov, who will turn 30 in June, is in the final year of a two-year, $5 million contract. In four NHL seasons, Barabanov has 107 points in 206 games, averaging 16:39 in ice time.

LINEUP CHANGES: Quinn said both Kevin Labanc and Mike Hoffman will return to the Sharks’ lineup Thursday after lengthy absences. They take the places of Barabanov and Jacob MacDonald, who will be a healthy scratch.

Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood will start Thursday’s game.

Hoffman missed eight straight games after he suffered a concussion against the Ottawa Senators on March 9 when he was hit from behind by Brady Tkachuk. Hoffman has been skating regularly with the Sharks in recent days as he’s waited for his symptoms to fully subside.

Labanc, who had just nine points in 41 games before Thursday, had been a healthy scratch for the last four Sharks games. Both he and Hoffman, like Barabanov, are pending UFA’s.

“Obviously, you lose 6-3 and play the way we did, it gave us an opportunity to make a change,” Quinn said. “It’s not so much on what (MacDonald) didn’t do, but, to me, you’ve got to give these guys a chance to get back in and play some hockey that allows them to stay in the lineup.”

For Labanc, Quinn said, that means, “the same stuff we’ve talked about all year long. Consistency, productivity, with or without the puck.”

Labanc said earlier this week he hasn’t had much communication with Quinn about when he might get into the lineup again, adding there’s, “nothing more to elaborate on that.”

“I’m kind of past it. It is what it is,” Labanc said. “We’ve got 12 games left. Do what you can and control you can, on the ice and off the ice. Just support the boys. It’s always fun being in the locker room with these guys. So I’m just enjoying my time with them.”