Bah humbug!

The injury news for the San Jose Sharks, right before a showdown at the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 23, was not festive.

There were hopes that Will Smith could return to the line-up sooner than later, after head coach Ryan Warsofsky labeled his upper-body injury, suffered on Dec. 13 at the Pittsburgh Penguins, an injury to be re-evaluated in a week. In comparison, Philipp Kurashev, who suffered an upper-body injury in the same game, was instantly labeled as week-to-week.

Hopes were also fanned when Will Smith was seen out of his right sling, after a couple days with it.

After Monday’s practice, however, Warsofsky changed Smith’s status to week-to-week.

“We’re gonna re-evaluate him in the New Year,” Warsofsky said. “He’s making steps daily to getting better. So that’s the big positive.”

Warsofsky ruled Smith out for any San Jose Sharks games through the New Year, so at least four games, road contests at the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, and Anaheim Ducks, and a New Year’s Eve date at home against the Minnesota Wild.

As for Kurashev, Sharks Hockey Digest reported that Kurashev was seen in an upper-body cast.

Warsofsky gave an update: “He’s week-to-week, as well. So as long as he has a cast, I don’t see him playing.”

That’s not the end of the San Jose Sharks’ injury woes.

Collin Graf, at the end of practice, took a deflected shot to the face.

Graf left the ice immediately, a long trail of blood following.

In the San Jose Sharks locker room, Graf was seen changing, bandage over his mouth and below his nose. Multiple teammates went up to him to check on him, and he was able to speak with them. So at the very least, the worst-case injury scenarios appear to have been averted here.

“You don’t want to see anything up by the eye. That’s a positive from it,” Warsofsky said.

Warsofsky couldn’t confirm if Graf was traveling with the team today to Las Vegas.

“He’s gonna get stitched up,” Warsofsky said. “To see the blood, not a great look. So hopefully, it’s okay.”

Speaking of practice injuries, Timothy Liljegren received an upper-body injury at the end of morning skate on Saturday. He was a late scratch versus the Seattle Kraken, and Warsofsky confirmed that the defenseman will miss the Vegas tilt, then be re-evaluated after Christmas.