The San Jose Sharks will need Yaroslav Aaskarov to be great vs. the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, or else it could severely dent playoff hopes.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky would only confirm his starting goalie before the second half of a back-to-back, but signaled changes to the lineup would be coming.
Askarov will start.
There will be line-up changes, to both forwards and defense, I believe, but Warsofsky declined to share them. We’ll see during warm-ups.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 9, 2026
Warsofsky told reporters after the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday that the coaching staff would discuss possible changes for Thursday.
“We’ll look at it. I think that’s under consideration for sure,” Warsofsky said.
The San Jose Sharks head coach has not been shy about rotating players in his lineup during back-to-back situations, wanting fresh legs. Young players like Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson, and Igor Chernyshov all struggled against the Oilers. Dickinson was on the ice for a goal against on three consecutive shifts during the second period. The 19-year-old was also benched for the final 9:37 of the first period.
“The game picks up, and that type of team can jump on you [and] maybe second-guess how you want to play certain situations,” Warsofsky said. “Next thing you know, you’re on your heels. Another learning moment for some of our guys.”
Although they can’t be mathematically eliminated with a loss tonight, the San Jose Sharks need to keep pace with their Western Conference counterparts. The closest teams in the standings to the Sharks all play tonight.
WPG at STL
NSH at UTH
VAN at LAK
The best-case scenario for the Sharks in the standings would be for the St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth, and Vancouver Canucks to finish their games with regulation wins. The Los Angeles Kings have played in 32 overtimes this season, an NHL record.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. in the next ‘biggest game of the year’.