Timo Meier, Micheal Haley missed Thursday’s game with injuries

The Sharks can’t seem to catch a break in the injury department as of late. Micheal Haley and Timo Meier were both surprise scratches for the Sharks as Haley was placed on injured reserve and Meier was a late scratch with a “minor upper body injury” according to Friend of the Blog Kevin Kurz.

So as soon as Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi return from their illness/injury, the Sharks lose another pair of forwards. Thankfully it seems Meier will return to the lineup on Saturday against the Avalanche, but Haley suddenly disappearing to injured reserve is curious to say the least.

If Meier returns on Saturday, it forces head coach Pete DeBoer into an interesting decision. Ryan Carpenter scored his second goal in his fifth game this season which must helps his odds of staying in the lineup. That might make Tommy Wingels the favorite to sit if Meier draws back in. If Carpenter becomes a regular in the lineup, Haley may find himself down with the Barracuda unless San Jose can find a taker for Wingels in the near future.

Of course this is all needless speculation until we see what Saturday’s lineup looks like. Carpenter has made the most of his limited opportunities this season — soon we’ll see if it has paid off.