SALT LAKE CITY — The top San Jose Sharks rookies have different challenges against the Utah Mammoth on Friday.

Michael Misa will not play tonight.

“The schedule dictates a little bit. The match-ups,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Gonna be high-pace game today. I would say more so matchup-oriented, more than anything.”

Warsofsky complimented Misa’s recent practices but wanted him to get some extra puck touches this morning with the assistant coaches. Misa was shooting after morning skate on back-up Alex Nedeljkovic, assistant coaches Jeff Ulmer and Brian Wiseman watching.

“He’s not going to sit out too long,” Warsofsky said.

Best guess, Misa is back in the line-up tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Remember, while the 18-year-old is not necessarily on the Will Smith plan, that rookie Smith did sit out back-to-back’s early last season.

Meanwhile, Sam Dickinson will stay in the line-up, despite a tough game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“You gotta learn through failures in life. He’s a very coachable kid. The game will slow down for him like we saw with Will and Mack,” Warsofsky said.

When will that happen?

“It’s confidence,” Warsofsky said. “Once he gets his confidence, maybe gets a shot through on the blueline or a couple points?”

San Jose Sharks (0-2-1)

Vincent Iorio, claimed off waivers, will make his Sharks debut.

Hello from Utah! Iorio is here, wearing No. 22 pic.twitter.com/yIakaLGarb

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2025

This is, in part, because San Jose has just six healthy defensemen at Delta Center.

Timothy Liljegren was placed on IR yesterday, John Klingberg is still nursing a lower-body injury, and Shakir Mukhamadullin has a day-to-day upper-body injury, suffered in practice recently.

“We don’t think it’s too serious,” Warsofsky said of Mukhamadullin, “but I would say he’s probably out through the weekend.”

Warsofsky confirmed these lines, except he wasn’t sure yet who right-hander Iorio would play with.

Yaroslav Askarov will draw the start.

Skinner-Celebrini-Kurashev
Eklund-Wennberg-Toffoli
Graf-Dellandrea-Smith
Goodrow-Gaudette-Reaves

Orlov-Leddy-Ferraro-Iorio
Dickinson-Desharnais

Askarov

After a lackluster effort in a 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, what do the San Jose Sharks have to do to get their first win of the season? They’re the only winless team in the NHL, granted, they’ve played less games than every other team.

“Come out with just fire tonight, just compete,” Ty Dellandrea said. “Want the puck, keep it, hold on to it, and at the same time, just being dialed into our structure, what we have to do systematically to win a hockey game.”

Utah Mammoth (2-2-0)

Same lines today:

Keller – Hayton – Schmaltz
Guenther – Cooley – Peterka
Crouse – McBain – Carcone
O’Brien/Tanev – Stenlund – Yamamoto
Agozzino

Sergachev – Simashev
Schmidt – Marino
Cole – Määttä
DeSimone

Vejmelka
Vaněček#TusksUp #TheFutureIsTeal

— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) October 17, 2025

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Utah Mammoth is at 6 PM PT at Delta Center. Watch it live on ESPN+ and Hulu. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.

A look at the refurbished for hockey Delta Center pic.twitter.com/OqyrSqadBC

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 17, 2025