After missing each of the last seven games, top-pair defenseman Aaron Ekblad will return to the blue line for the Florida Panthers when they face-off against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday.

Cody Ceci and Will Smith scored for the Sharks (14-32-6), who have lost six straight and nine of ten. Alexandar Georgiev allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled early in the second period for Yaroslav Askarov, who stopped 14 of 17 shots in relief.

Good news for the San Jose Sharks. Injured goaltender Vitek Vanecek has recovered and has resumed practicing. However, the goaltender is not scheduled to be in the lineup for the time being.

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier has not had any serious contract negotiations with his large group of pending unrestricted free agents and said it’s unlikely he’ll sign any of those players to extensions before the NHL trade deadline on March 7.

Never a huge goal-scorer, Granlund is on pace to hit 20 for the third time in his 13-year career and the first since 2017-18 with Minnesota. But the 32-year-old has been a point producer with the Sharks. He’s leading the team with 44 points in 51 contests after a scoring a team-high 60 points in 69 games last season.

At the forefront of the Sharks’ rebuild is Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old center is having a Calder Trophy-type season; he leads all rookies in goals (16) and is second in points (36) in 41 games. Celebrini missed 12 games because of a lower-body injury sustained in his debut on Oct. 10.

Mikael Granlund swinging behind the Russia goal, heading for its right side. In the process, the center, then only 19 years old on May 13, 2011, put the puck on his blade and flung it behind Russia’s goalie, Konstantin Barulin. He scored.

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier spoke on the state of franchise for over 45 minutes on Tuesday night. Grier shared his approach to the Mar. 7 Trade Deadline, thoughts on Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith’s seasons,

A crucial piece on the blue line, Ekblad, despite missing time due to his injury, still leads Florida’s defensemen in both assists (18) and points (20). He also ranks third in hits (59) and blocked shots (56), while averaging a team-leading 23:32 of ice time per contest.

After a strong first period in which they scored two goals in less than a minute, the San Jose Sharks went south quick and hard Saturday night in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Florida Panthers.

Good to go against Sharks