Sharks’ Kurashev week-to-week, but Smith’s timeline for return still murky

SAN JOSE — Philipp Kurashev is considered week to week with an upper-body injury, and coach Ryan Warsofsky would not rule out the possibility of surgery for Will Smith as the Sharks start to navigate their way forward — at least for now — without two of their top-scoring wingers.

Warsofsky said Smith, who appeared to sustain an upper-body injury in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, will sit out this week and be reevaluated by the Sharks’ medical staff on Monday. Asked if there was a possibility that Smith would need surgery, Warsofsky said, “I don’t think we’re there yet.”

In the second period of Saturday game, which the Sharks came back to win 6-5 in overtime after they fell behind 5-1, Kurashev crashing hard into the end boards in the Penguins’ zone. He skated to the Sharks’ bench, where he remained momentarily, before he walked back to the team’s dressing room at PPG Paints Arena.

Smith, 20, was hurt with 16:30 left in the third period, as he was hit into the boards by defenseman Parker Wotherspoon in the Penguins’ zone. Smith immediately began to skate off the ice and threw off one of his gloves, clutching his right arm, before he reached the bench and went to the team’s room for medical care.

Smith, 20, and Kurashev, 26, were placed on injured reserve on Monday.

Smith entered this week as the Sharks’ second-leading scorer with 29 points in 33 games. Kurashev has 15 points in 31 games this season.

“Disappointing, but that’s life in the NHL right now,” Warsofsky said. “There’s a lot of injuries around the league and we’re no different. So, it’ll be a good opportunity for some guys to step up and play some prominent minutes.”

One of those players is Igor Chernyshov, who, along with Ethan Cardwell, was recalled from the Barracuda of the AHL. Chernyshov will make his NHL debut on Tuesday, starting the game on the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf, as the Sharks face the Calgary Flames to begin a three-game homestand.

Chernyshov, one of the Sharks’ top prospects, leads the Barracuda with 23 points in 25 games, and Cardwell has nine points in 14 games. Cardwell will begin the game on the third line with fellow winger Jeff Skinner, who is playing his 1,100th NHL game, and center Ty Dellandrea.

The Sharks have won three of their last four games and entered Tuesday

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