The San Jose Sharks are getting reinforcements back against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, with Michael Misa and John Klingberg returning.
Misa will play on the Sharks’ third line as the center, not the wing, and Ryan Reaves will be a healthy scratch. Reaves is confirmed to be healthy per Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. His absence from the lineup is a coach’s decision. Klingberg will be activated from injured reserve. Nick Leddy will exit the Sharks’ lineup as a healthy scratch.
Klingberg in for Leddy.
Misa in for Reaves. Misa will play C
Askarov starts #SJSharks
— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) January 11, 2026
“He’s gotta play,” Warsofsky said of Misa. “Just the decision we made.”
Adam Gaudette will slide down to the San Jose Sharks’ fourth line, most likely in Reaves’ vacated right-wing spot.
Misa hasn’t played an NHL game since Nov. 1 against the Colorado Avalanche. Misa suffered an ankle injury during a pregame skate on Nov. 5 and then played for Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Juniors. Misa told reporters on Friday that the Sharks informed him that he would remain in the NHL for the rest of the season.
“Pace of the game. I’d like to see his pace up. See him be able to skate, not think as much,” Warsofsky said about what he’s looking for from Misa. “His brain is really smart. He can make the reads with and without the puck. [I] want to see him doing it with some pace.”
As for Klingberg, Sunday’s game is the first since New Year’s Eve. The San Jose Sharks scored four power-play goals against the Dallas Stars on Saturday, meaning Klingberg won’t slot back in on the top unit right away.
“He was playing some pretty good hockey for us before he got injured,” Warsofsky said. “His [good] play came from moving pucks and putting pucks to the cage and being very reliable all over the ice.”
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