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Jan Rutta Leaves Sharks Practice Early; Injuries Piling Up On Defense, Leaving Door Open For Prospects

max miller
·2 min read

Jan Rutta was supposed to suit up for the San Jose Sharks tonight but will not play after taking a puck to the face during practice.

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Rutta was part of this morning's game group, but during the last drill, a shot went haywire and caught him in the face. The defenseman stayed down for a little as trainers looked at him. He would eventually skate off the ice under his own power with a towel to his face.

Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said Rutta is "fine," but as a precaution, they will hold him out of tonight's game against Utah HC. Matt Benning will enter the lineup in his place.

San Jose is already dealing with other key injuries to its blue line, including Shakir Mukhamadullin and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Warsofsky said both players were on the ice for today's second straight day.

While it doesn't seem like Rutta will miss any time, there is always a chance. Should he miss time, the door will open for Luca Cagnoni and Jack Thompson to possibly make the opening night roster as a No. 7 d-man.

"I mean, obviously, we're a little nicked up right now back there, so there are some spots to have," Warsofsky said. "I'll talk to Mike [Grier] as the week goes on, but I think anytime you're on the ice, whether it's a game or practice, it's a big moment. That's Cardwell or Gushchin, or whoever those guys are [that are] still here. We've got to see it every single day that they're in the building that they're engaged. They're learning. They're making the positive steps in development."

Cagnoni and Thompson are projected to be paired on defense together tonight, and Cagnoni was running the Sharks' second powerplay unit during the morning skate.

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