In this edition of San Jose Sharks News & Rumors, Frank Seravalli recently spoke about the health of general manager (GM) Doug Wilson. In other news, Tomas Hertl spoke about how much better the dressing room is this season, which some believed to be a shot at former teammate Evander Kane. Last but not least, head coach Bob Boughner recently applauded Mario Ferraro for his strength and toughness after the young defenceman suffered an injury versus the Florida Panthers.
No Update on Wilson’s Health
In late November, the Sharks announced that Wilson would be stepping away from his GM duties for an unspecified amount of time due to a health issue. The hope was that he would return shortly after, but he has yet to rejoin the team, and according to Seravalli, there is no indication on when he may be ready to return.
“Not much of an update, in terms of Doug Wilson and his health,” said Seravalli. “I think people were hoping – and certainly around the Sharks organization – that this would just be a temporary leave of absence. That Doug Wilson could gather up some strength and be back in the chair in short order.
“We’re now more than two months since that announcement was made back on Nov. 26. At this point, Joe Will, their assistant general manager, is still overseeing day-to-day operations of the team. He’s in communication with Doug Wilson on the regular.
“I think there are some question marks in terms of how the Sharks will proceed as it gets closer to the March 21 trade deadline. But at this point, no change, Joe Will continues to run the Sharks.”
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This is certainly disappointing news, as not only Sharks but all hockey fans hoped that Wilson would be able to return by now. Hopefully he is okay in whatever it is he is dealing with, and will be able to reassume his role in the near future.
Hertl Says Sharks Locker Room Much Better Than Last Season
This offseason there were reports that several Sharks wanted Kane removed from the team, and one of those players was supposedly Hertl. The 28-year-old was not a fan of Kane’s antics last season, and recent comments suggest he is much happier with the way things have been without Kane in 2021-22.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment in the locker room this year,” Hertl told reporters. “The locker room this season is better than before.”
With Kane now gone from the organization and on to the Edmonton Oilers, many believe Hertl’s comments were specifically about him. Removing Kane from the roster seems to have helped the team as a whole, as they sit just four points shy of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Boughner Big Fan of Ferraro’s Toughness
In a game against the Florida Panthers last Saturday, Ferraro took a shot to the face from Owen Tippett and was forced to leave the game. It was a painful injury for the 23-year-old, who was forced to wait until the next morning before having any work done by doctors. Despite that, he remained in good spirits and made sure to be around his teammates, something that garnered a ton of respect from his head coach. (from ‘Curtis Pashelka: Sharks’ Mario Ferraro spends hours in dentist’s chair, still meets Sharks at breakfast’ , Mercury News 01/30/22).
“He’s a warrior,” Boughner said the next day. “He was in a lot of pain all night. We couldn’t get him fixed up there in Florida, so he had to wait overnight.
“Just to be able to deal with that pain that he was through all night and see him pop out of the chair this morning and come down and say hi to the guys at team breakfast, it’s the kind of guy he is.”
Ferraro proved just how tough he is shortly after, as he only missed one game but was able to return on Tuesday. In his return, he had over 27 minutes of ice time in what was a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Up Next for the Sharks
The Sharks now have a long break ahead of them, as all teams are currently off for the All-Star game, and several have even longer periods off due to what was supposed to be the Olympic break. Their next game won’t come until Feb. 14, where they will take on a divisional rival in the Edmonton Oilers.