Sharks recall two defensemen; could one play in his first NHL game in nearly two years?

The San Jose Sharks have recalled defensemen Nikolai Knyzhov and Nick Cicek from the Barracuda for their three-game road trip, which begins Monday against the Winnipeg Jets.

The Sharks finished Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with just five defensemen after Radim Simek left with an undisclosed injury after two periods. In what was just his third game back after he missed two months with a concussion, Simek, 30, played just 8:20 in what became an 8-3 Sharks loss to the Capitals.

Simek, who has averaged 14:29 of ice time in 34 games this season, did not travel with the Sharks to Winnipeg on Sunday.

Knyzhov’s recall opens the door for him to play in his first NHL game in close to two years. Knyzhov’s last game with the Sharks came May 12, 2021, at the end of the pandemic-shortened season, as he’s been hampered by multiple injuries and setbacks.

Knyzhov, 24, had surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon in August and after a painstaking rehabilitation, joined the Barracuda in late January. He played 12 AHL games but did not have a point.

“His play is getting better,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Friday of Knyzhov. “He’s such a good kid, but he’s hard on himself. No matter who you are, if you take 18 months from competitive hockey, you’re not going to step back in and be the same player you were. I think he probably in his head thought it would be a quick turnaround where he would just find his game right away, but it’s taken him a little while.

“We watch him, we see the improvement for each game.”

Cicek, a Winnipeg native, has played in 16 games for the Sharks this season, most recently on Feb. 20 at home against Seattle. The 22-year-old has four assists with the Sharks and has averaged 14:25 in ice time per game.

The Sharks finish the trip with games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The Sharks are 1-7-1 in their last nine games and enter Monday with the third-worst record in the NHL at 18-33-12.