SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith took another step toward a return to the active roster as he joined the team for its practice at SAP Center on Friday afternoon while wearing an orange non-contact jersey.

Smith has been skating away from the team in recent days, but Friday marked the first time he joined the team for a practice, as he took occasional line rushes alongside Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund and was part of the penalty killing team during power play drills.

Winger Igor Chernyshov mainly took line rushes with Celebrini and Eklund and is expected to be on that line for Saturday’s home game against the Dallas Stars.

Smith, who remains third on the Sharks with 29 points in 33 games, would likely need to complete a full practice with contact before he can play in a game. The Sharks are next scheduled to practice on Monday.

“That was just a progression of his rehab,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Smith. “Good to get him back on the ice.”

Smith sustained an upper-body injury in the Sharks’ Dec. 13 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on a hard hit against the boards by defensemen Jeremy Wotherspoon. He and Philipp Kurashev, who also suffered an upper-body injury in that game, were placed on injured reserve two days later.

Both Smith and Kurashev are expected back no later than the start of the Olympic break in early February, and Warsofsky added Friday that Smith is roughly “five, six days” ahead of Kurashev on the return timeline.

Defenseman John Klingberg, who was placed on IR on Monday with a lower-body issue, also practiced Friday. Warsofsky said Klingberg will not play Saturday, but could be an option to play in Sunday’s 5 p.m. game against the Vegas Golden Knights in back-to-back home games.

Celebrini and Smith before practice pic.twitter.com/SsPvrJ5Ieg

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) January 9, 2026

Two other injured Sharks defensemen, Vincent Desharnais and Shakir Mukhamadullin, did not practice on Friday but skated on their own earlier in the day. It’s unlikely either will play this weekend.

Sharks center Ty Dellandrea is still considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury he sustained in Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Delladrea was driving to the net with the puck in the second period when he was inadvertently tripped, which caused his right leg to crash into the post. Warsofsky said Dellandrea will be reevaluated again just before the Olympic break.

Rookie center Michael Misa also took part in his first practice with the Sharks since he returned to San Jose earlier this week after competing for Canada at the World Junior championships, and is an option to play this weekend, Warsofsky said.

During line rushes, Misa took turns with Ryan Reaves, skating on the fourth line with Zack Ostapchuk and Barclay Goodrow. In the seven games he’s played with the Sharks this season, Misa has been used as a third-line center.

The 18-year-old Misa, who was taken second overall by the Sharks in the 2025 NHL Draft, confirmed Friday that he’ll remain in San Jose for the rest of the season. The Sharks also had the option of returning Misa to Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League.