SAN JOSE – Injured Sharks forward Melker Karlsson practiced with his teammates on Friday at Sharks Ice, but won’t be available for the final two preseason games this weekend.
The 25-year-old has been out with an undisclosed injury, and agreed that he’s probably a long shot to play on opening night Oct. 7 in Los Angeles.
Early in camp when he wasn’t on the ice, Karlsson indicated that his aim was to play in at least one preseason game. That’s not going to happen.
“I thought I was going to be playing sooner,” Karlsson said on Friday. “I’m staring to get there now and I feel good out there. Just for a first practice I feel pretty good.”
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He remains optimistic for Wednesday, but he’ll likely have to take part in a few more practices first. Like all pregame morning skates, Friday’s practice wasn’t overly physical.
Coach Peter DeBoer stopped short of ruling Karlsson out for the Kings game.
“Well, the opener is a week away, so we’re not there yet. He’s ruled out for this weekend,” said the coach.
The Sharks' 2014-15 rookie of the year, Karlsson had 13 goals and 23 points in 53 games after being recalled from Worcester. He signed a two-year, $3.3 million contract in the offseason.
