{"id":484227,"date":"2026-10-03T20:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T20:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/484227\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T20:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T20:52:09","slug":"san-jose-sharks-jacob-trouba-questionable-to-play-vs-l-a-kings-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/484227\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Sharks’ Jacob Trouba questionable to play vs. L.A. Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN JOSE \u2013 Defenseman Jacob Trouba<\/a> is ill and will be a game-time decision Saturday when the San Jose Sharks<\/a> face the Los Angeles Kings at 7 p.m. at SAP Center.<\/p>\n

Trouba has dealt with the unspecified illness at least since Friday when he did not practice. He also did not take part in the morning skate at Sharks Ice on Saturday.<\/p>\n

If Trouba is unavailable Saturday, Sam Dickinson will draw into the Sharks\u2019 lineup against the Kings. Dickinson was a healthy scratch in the Sharks\u2019 season-opener, a 4-3 overtime victory<\/a> against the Florida Panthers on Thursday.<\/p>\n

If 20-year-old Dickinson does play Saturday, he will likely be paired with Nolan Allan, 23. The two skated together Friday and Saturday. That would mean the Sharks would have three defensemen in Saturday\u2019s lineup who are 23 or younger. Luca Cagnoni, who had the overtime winner Tuesday, is 21 and has been paired with 35-year-old Dmitry Orlov.<\/p>\n

Cagnoni, Dickinson and Allan have a combined 126 games of NHL experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though (Dickinson\u2019s) a young player, he\u2019s got experience of playing in the (NHL) last year, and understanding the areas that we need to pick up a little bit on,\u201d Sharks coach Ryan Warssofsky said, \u201cso we feel really comfortable in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trouba, signed to a four-year, $33 million contract<\/a> by the Sharks as a free agent in July, had 22:35 of ice time, including a team-leading 6:04 on the penalty kill, in Thursday\u2019s win.<\/p>\n

Trouba, 32, had two shots on net, was listed with three giveaways, and fought Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk in the first period after Tkachuk and center Aleksander Barkov knocked down Macklin Celebrini near the neutral zone.<\/p>\n

NURSE ON BARKOV<\/p>\n

Barkov, who exited Thursday\u2019s game in the second period with a lower-body ailment, was placed on long-term injured reserve<\/a> by the Panthers on Saturday, meaning he\u2019ll miss at least the next 10 games or 24 days.<\/p>\n

ESPN reported there is optimism within the Panthers organization that Barkov\u2019s injury is not season-ending.<\/p>\n

Barkov walked down the tunnel after this play: pic.twitter.com\/J9iA1Oo1JD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

On the play, Barkov, the Panthers\u2019 captain, was battling for the puck in the corner to the left of the Sharks\u2019 net with defenseman Darnell Nurse and Zack Ostapchuk. Barkov lost his balance after a push from Nurse\u2019s left arm and fell awkwardly to the ice, with his lower left leg bending the wrong way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never want to see a guy go down like that,\u201d Nurse told Bay Area News Group on Friday. \u201cIt must have been a freak thing because there wasn\u2019t much contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Askarov missed all of last season after tearing his right ACL and MCL during training camp.<\/p>\n

ASKAROV STARTS<\/p>\n

Yaroslav Askarov will start Saturday\u2019s game after he made 23 saves in a solid performance against the Panthers.<\/p>\n

The Sharks have confidence in Alex Nedeljkovic, given his 18-14-4 record and .896 save percentage last season. But the organization also wants to see Askarov start developing into a No. 1 goalie.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s earned it,\u201d Warsofsky said of Askarov. \u201cHe\u2019s earned the start. He had a really good camp, so that was kind of the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he and the Sharks want a goalie to take over the net to start the season, Warsofsky said, \u201cI think every team would hope that, right? So (Askarov) will go tonight, and we\u2019ll focus on today.\u201d<\/p>\n

GAUDETTE PROGRESSES<\/p>\n

Injured forward Adam Gaudette (upper body) practiced without a non-contact jersey on Saturday and appears poised to join the Sharks on their upcoming two-game road trip, which begins Monday in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Warsofsky said the Sharks will have to see how Gaudette comes out of Saturday\u2019s skate before deciding whether he\u2019s healthy enough to come off injured reserve. If he can come off IR, the Sharks would have to make a corresponding move, which could mean placing winger Brett Leason on waivers.<\/p>\n

Gaudette was injured early in training camp.<\/p>\n

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