Collin Graf skates before Sharks’ game in Vegas, says he’ll play after taking puck to face

Collin Graf will play Tuesday night for the Sharks against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

That was the big news out of Tuesday’s morning skate one day after the second-year winger took an errant puck to the face during practice that necessitated stitches. 

Monday’s development cast doubt on Graf’s availability for Tuesday’s game, and it was unknown whether he would travel to Las Vegas with the Sharks. But Graf made the trip and was spotted out on the ice with a full protective face shield on his helmet Tuesday morning, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. 

Graf told Peng after the morning skate that he will play Tuesday and there is “nothing broken” after the injury. Graf said he is feeling good and expects to heal completely. 

Some of Graf’s teammates have reportedly dubbed him “Scarface” as he sports numerous stitches along the lower right side of his right nostril.

Graf’s availability is welcome news for the Sharks, who are already without top-six wingers Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev. Both players are out for the foreseeable future, coach Ryan Warsofsky said after Monday’s practice in San Jose. 

Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov is expected to start for the Sharks after leaving the ice first following Tuesday’s morning skate. Askarov started San Jose’s most recent game against the Seattle Kraken, finishing with a .903 save percentage and stopping 31 shots in a 4-2 loss.