Ryan Reaves is back.

The veteran enforcer suffered a lower-body injury on a breakaway on Oct. 28 against the Los Angeles Kings.

“Typical of me getting hurt on a breakaway,” Reaves, career-high nine goals in a season, quipped. “I think I got caught up in [Darcy Kuemper’s] pad trying to get the rebound, and my momentum just kind of flipped me around and just hammered my legs.”

Good news for Reaves, the injury was short-term.

The San Jose Sharks could use who Ryan Warsofsky called his “fifth coach” back.

“I definitely appreciate that. I take a lot of pride in helping any way I can,” Reaves said, when asked about the compliment. “Everybody’s got a role on a team, and mine’s just a little different than everybody else’s.”

He elaborated: “I don’t play big minutes like some of these guys. Some games, based on penalties, I’m only playing four or five minutes. So I try and help out in other ways, whether it’s yelling at guys from the ice, telling them heads-up, or somebody jumps out of position and I notice it, letting them know, energy whenever I can.”

San Jose Sharks (5-6-3)

Alex Nedeljkovic draws the start in the first leg of a back-to-back.

Sam Dickinson will sit, in favor of Ryan Reaves, as the Sharks ran 11-7 last game.

This is the projected line-up:

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

Orlov-Liljegren
Ferraro-Klingberg
Mukhamadullin-Desharnais

Nedeljkovic

Dickinson will sit. Warsofsky made clear it was because of the back-to-back, managing his schedule, not performance-related.

Confirms Nedeljkovic will start

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 7, 2025

Also, while William Eklund (lower-body) has skated for 2-3 straight days, he was placed on IR, so the Sharks could activate Reaves.

Eklund has officially gone on IR, Ryan Reaves has been activated.

Eklund’s placement on IR can be retroactive, so he’ll miss tomorrow, for sure, but he could potentially be available for the upcoming road trip.

Warsofsky says he’s trending in the right direction

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 7, 2025

There’s also more clarity on Michael Misa’s lower-body injury, suffered at morning skate in Seattle on Wednesday.

Warsofsky did add that they’re comfortable with that timeline, won’t be worse than that

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 7, 2025

“It happened during our power play drill,” Warsofsky said. “A puck battle and something happened.”

The San Jose Sharks bench boss declined to elaborate further.

Winnipeg Jets (9-4-0)

#NHLJets line rushes in San Jose:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Namestnikov-Toews-Iafallo
Niederreiter-Lowry-Chibrikov
Koepke-Ford-Pearson
Lambert, Perfetti

Morrissey-DeMelo
Stanley-Pionk
Fleury-Schenn
Samberg (non-contact)-Miller

Hellebuyck
Comrie

— Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton) November 7, 2025

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets is at 7 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.