San Jose Sharks' Jake Walman to miss game versus Minnesota Wild

SAN JOSE — Veteran defenseman Jake Walman will miss his second straight game Thursday when the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. However, per the Sharks, Walman's absence this time is injury-related.

Walman was scratched from Tuesday's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets for a non-hockey-related reason, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said, without elaborating.

Walman is dealing with a minor upper-body injury incurred in the first period of Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, and is now considered day-to-day. Walman also did not play well in the third period of Saturday's gam, but his absence against the Blue Jackets, Warsofsky said, was his decision.

"It's a coach's decision, and I'm gonna just keep it just like that," Warsofsky said Thursday morning.

Walman leads all Sharks defensemen with nine points and is second among all skaters in average time on ice (22:42).

"We have had numerous conversations," Warsofsky later said of Walman. "But he and I are on the same page. We've moved forward. He's injured, and we expect him back very soon."

Rookie Jack Thompson will dress instead of Walman for the second straight game as the Sharks look to finish their homestand with another win. The Sharks beat the Blue Jackets 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday to improve to 3-1-0 on the homestand and 4-8-2 on the season.

It's unclear how much more time Walman will have to miss. The Sharks start a four-game road trip on Sunday in New Jersey, followed by games against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, the New York Rangers on Thursday, and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

Walman, acquired by the Sharks from the Detroit Red Wings in June, is signed through next season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

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