SAN JOSE – The struggling San Jose Sharks made some changes for their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, subbing Shakir Mukhamadullin for Timothy Liljegren on the defensive end and Pavol Regenda for Ryan Reaves on the fourth line.
Mukhamadullin was healthy during the Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday and, due to injuries and scratches, has played just 26 of 56 games so far this season.
The coach of the Sharks, Ryan Warsofsky, said he wants Mukhamadullin to defend himself as they play one of the NHL’s most attacking teams against the Oilers. Edmonton’s captain, Connor McDavid, leads the NHL with 100 points in 60 games, and the Oilers are third in the NHL with an average of 3.52 goals per game after beating the Los Angeles Kings 8-1 on Thursday.
“Just play hard hockey, defend with some urgency and jam,” Warsofsky said of what he wants to see from Mukhamadullin. “Puck play is important. (Be) the guy that can help us get pucks out of the back of our net. Keep taking that extra step.”
Earlier this week, Mukhamadullin expressed his displeasure with the way this season turned out and reflected on where he is in his career.
Mukhamadullin’s ice time has dropped significantly since 2024-25, as he averaged 16:15 per game, down from the 18:04 he posted in 30 NHL games last season.
“Honestly, I’m not happy with the way my season is going,” Mukhamaduklin told the Bay Area News Group. “Not playing that many games. And have less ice time. When I play, it’s always 13, 14 minutes.
“But it is what it is. Just try to stay positive every day. Just a lot of thinking in my head about my season, but just stay positive and prepare every game and be ready.”
The Sharks (27-25-4) have lost their last five games and entered Saturday five points behind the Seattle Kraken in second place in the Western Conference.
Warsofsky said he understands that Mukhamadullin is frustrated but added, “you have to play well. The National Hockey League. We’re in a unique position as an organization, where we’re trying to develop other players. We’re also trying to win critical hockey games when we don’t think we’re going to be where we are.”
Liljegren committed the worst foul in the third period of Thursday’s loss in Calgary. With the Sharks trailing by one, Liljegren’s attempted pass passed to the Flames instead and went to Nazem Kadri, who scored to give Calgary a 3-1 lead.
Regenda also did not play in Thursday’s loss but is coming off a strong start to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, where he had three goals and two assists in six games for Slovakia, which finished fourth.
Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov will start Saturday’s game after making 25 saves in Thursday’s loss. Askarov is 0-0-2 in two career starts against the Oilers, stopping 67 of 74 shots for a .905 save percentage. In the San Jose game at Edmonton on Jan. 29, Askarov and the Sharks had a three-goal lead in the third period before the Oilers stormed back to tie the game and send it into overtime, where Zach Hyman scored to give Edmonton a 4-3 win.
Saturday’s game is the first meeting between McDavid and Macklin Celebrini in the middle of the Sharks since they played together against Canada in the Olympic Games. McDavid led the tournament with 13 points in six games, while Celebrini had 10 points, his five goals leading all skaters.
Celebrini is the NHL’s fifth-leading scorer with 81 points in 56 games, despite being shut out in three of his last four games.
Warsofsky said he and Celebrini discussed what he saw in certain players at the Olympics and how they played.
“Mack is a real student of the game, one, so he obviously learned some things playing with two of the best players in the world in (Colorado Avalanche center) Nathan McKinnon and McDavid,” Warsofsky said. “Your speed has to be very high, so Mack has done a great job of picking you up and putting you in, and he’s going to be better for it.”
Saturday’s game is the first of a series for the Sharks at the SAP Center, as they will host the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Sharks finish their homestand with games against Montreal on Tuesday in St. Louis on Friday, and the New York Islanders next Saturday.
