DETROIT — This is the best hockey that Ryan Warsofsky has seen Sam Dickinson play.

That’s not lip service from the San Jose Sharks head coach: Dickinson played a career-high 24:39 in Thursday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators. Dickinson actually led the team in ice-time.

The sophomore defenseman’s previous career-high was 21:42 last season.

Sharks tools

“He’s earned those minutes,” Warsofsky said. “He’s assertive with his skating and getting up the ice and is playing towards his strength.”

Dickinson’s healthy scratches to start the season seem so long ago.

“A level of urgency in his game has taken a rise,” Warsofsky said. “He’s more confident in making plays. He’s done a really good job of playing shift to shift. That’s the mindset you got to have when you’re trying to find your way in this league, kind of simplify it a little bit.”

Dickinson is starting to stack games: Yesterday was his fourth solid effort in a row.

“We know what we’re getting shift to shift,” Warsofsky said. “His consistency has taken a step in the right direction.”

Of course, it’s still quite early in the 20-year-old blueliner’s career. It’s just four games. In all, it feels like the 2024 San Jose Sharks’ No. 11 pick is still just scratching the surface of his potential.

But it’s good to see, after those stunning scratches to open the season, the young defenseman back on track.

Hello, Nurse?

Darnell Nurse was a full participant in Friday’s practice at Belfor Training Center.

Officially, Nurse is still considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The veteran defenseman suffered this injury in a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

“He’s probably a game-time decision,” Warsofsky said of Nurse’s status for Saturday’s tilt at the Detroit Red Wings.

Lines?

For what it’s worth, Nurse wasn’t on the first run of San Jose Sharks defensemen during drills this afternoon.

Luca Cagnoni and Nolan Allan, who both performed admirably in Nurse’s absence yesterday, skated ahead of Nurse.

Practice lines today matched yesterday’s:

Chernyshov-Celebrini-Smith
Marchment-Wennberg-Toffoli
Stenberg-Misa-Sherwood
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Graf
Gaudette-Dellandrea

Orlov-Kesselring
Dickinson-Trouba
Allan-Cagnoni
Nurse

We’ll see tomorrow morning.