The San Jose Sharks have placed injured winger Jeff Skinner on injured reserve and recalled Zack Ostapchuk from the San Jose Barracuda.
Per the NHL Media site, the #SJSharks have recalled Zack Ostapchuk and placed Jeff Skinner on IR— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) November 15, 2025
Skinner suffered a lower-body injury against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. It was a nasty-looking injury to his right leg on his first shift of the game. The Sharks forward needed assistance getting off the ice and wasn’t able to put any weight on his leg.
This is Ostapchuk’s second recall to the NHL this season. He still has yet to appear in a San Jose Sharks uniform this season, but he could do so against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
In 11 games with the Barracuda so far this season, Ostapchuk has three goals and one assist.
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Should Sharks give Musty or Chernyshov a chance?
While Skinner’s injury timeline isn’t known, questions can be asked as to why top prospects Quentin Musty or Igor Chernyshov weren’t recalled.
Both players are tied with Colin White with 10 points to lead ‘Cuda in scoring. Chernyshov has six goals and four assists, while Musty has three goals and seven assists.
After a sluggish start to the season, both San Jose Sharks prospects have picked it up, along with the rest of the team. For Chernyshov, all six of his goals have come in the past five games.
Against the Abbotsford Canucks, the winger recorded a hat trick. Musty is the other winger on Chernyshov’s line and has one goal and five assists in the past four games.
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The Sharks’ prospects have found chemistry on the top line for the ‘Cuda. Musty has excelled as a playmaker, which wasn’t his original calling card when he was drafted, since being put with Chernyshov.
So why not give them a chance?
Simply put, the role they would fill wouldn’t be ideal for development. Skinner had been playing in a third-line role for the Sharks. If either one were recalled, both players would need power-play time and top-six minutes.
Through 17 games, Skinner has averaged a career-low of 12:22 TOI per game. Keeping Musty and Chernyshov in the AHL at this stage of the season is likely the right move. The Sharks’ young prospects can play top minutes and contribute to a team that appears to be finding its form rather than trying to figure out the NHL.
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There’s no rush to get them to the NHL, especially if Michael Misa returns fairly soon.
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