Hot Scoring Sharks Winger Will Be Game-Time Decision Against Sabres

After the Joe Thornton jersey retirement ceremony, the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres have a hockey game to play, and William Eklund is being ruled as a game-time decision.

Eklund dealt with an upper-body injury earlier in the season, but Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said this injury is unrelated. The nature of the injury was not revealed during the coach's media availability.

Eklund has five points in his last five games. His line of Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund has been the top option for the Sharks' driving offense.

Will Smith will re-enter the lineup after sitting out against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday for a planned development day. Vitek Vanecek will return to the Sharks lineup as Mackenzie Blackwood's backup goalie. Yaroslav Askarov remains on the roster but could be returned to the San Jose Barracuda when the AHL team returns from his cross-country road trip to Toronto.

Thornton's ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. local with warmups expected to be around 4:30 p.m.

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