Sharks now in camp are fully vaccinated, per Boughner; Eklund gets comparison to Patrick Kane

SAN JOSE – Sharks coach Bob Boughner said Thursday that all players presently in camp with the team are fully vaccinated – meaning that everyone will be able to take part in games in Canada later this month.

The NHL is not mandating that its players receive the coronavirus vaccine. Unvaccinated players, though, are under numerous restrictions from the league, including not being able to cross the border from the United States into Canada without a lengthy quarantine.

The Sharks are scheduled to play nine games in Canada this season, including three later this month in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. On Sept. 16, Daly said estimated that 98 percent of NHL players would be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the regular season on Oct. 12.

The Sharks have 27 players in camp, including Evander Kane, who is under investigation by the NHL on allegations that he may have used a fake COVID-19 vaccine card. Kane, per an agreement with the team, remains away from the Sharks “until further notice.”

In early September, the Sharks parted ways with Rocky Thompson, who worked as an associate coach last season but chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. NHL rules stipulate that any individual whose job requires them to be within 12 feet of players needs to be inoculated against the coronavirus.

Thompson was soon replaced by John MacLean, who had 842 points in 1,194 NHL games as a player, and already had 13 years of coaching experience in the league. He’s also won a Stanley Cup as a player and an assistant coach.

General manager Doug Wilson said on Sept. 23 that the Sharks “are completely compliant with the NHL protocols, and the state and county protocols. Staff also. So we’re in a good position going forward.”

COMING AND GOING: The Sharks assigned forward Adam Raska and goalie Alexei Melnichuk to the Barracuda on Thursday. Melnichuk was sent down after James Reimer returned to practice after he was given a maintenance day Wednesday.

Melnichuk was first called up after Adin Hill was hurt in practice on Sunday. But Hill returned to the ice on Wednesday and is on track to start Saturday’s preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center.

Raska made his presence felt throughout camp and put himself in the mix to make the Sharks’ 23-man roster, which has to be submitted by the team to the NHL on Monday by 2 p.m. Coach Bob Boughner said Thursday, though, that the Sharks need to get him some experience in the AHL in his first season as a professional.

LOFTY COMPARISON: At this point, it would be a surprise not to see William Eklund on the Sharks roster Monday afternoon. With his skill and point production, Eklund has passed every test so far, including a physical one.

Eklund, listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, has so far been able to avoid and large hits by bigger forwards and defensemen as he’s played major minutes in four preseason games. Eklund leads the Sharks with five points, all assists.

“You look at guys like that, the first guy that comes to mind is Patrick Kane,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said of the Chicago Blackhawks star. “Try and find a time when Patrick Kane’s got hit hard, open ice. Not very often.”

Kane, also listed at 5-10, is a four-time NHL All-Star who has 1,088 points in 1,028 career games. Over the last six years, Kane, 32, has missed only one regular-season game.

“They just see the game, they’re almost a step or two ahead. But they see guys coming with their vision and (Eklund) does that very well. So hopefully he continues to do that.”

Eklund on Thursday was on a Sharks power-play unit with Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl. Kevin Labanc, and Lane Pederson. The other power-play unit had Couture, Brent Burns, Jonathan Dahlen, Nick Bonino and Timo Meier.