Deep Blue Sea: Nick Cicek to make NHL debut against Vegas

The San Jose Sharks are closing out a four-game road trip in Vegas tonight, and head coach David Quinn will need to make some changes to his winning-streak line-up. Defender Radim Simek was injured in Sunday’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild from a hit to the head by forward Mason Shaw, who received no supplemental discipline for the high hit.

Punishment for Shaw or not, the Sharks are still going to need to shuffle the deck a bit without Simek. Scott Harrington made the trip as an extra defender, but being a little closer to home allowed for an easy call-up from the San Jose Barracuda.

Nick Cicek has been tapped to make his NHL debut tonight in Simek’s stead. The former Portland Winterhawks captain signed as an undrafted free agent with then-interim general manager Joe Will last April. His two-year deal carries an annual cap hit of $835,000. The 22-year-old remains waiver exempt, with a $80,000 minors salary.

In 10 AHL games so far this season, Cicek has been scoreless, serving 10 penalty minutes and skating a -4 rating, with nine shots on goal. He last played on Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Eagles, where he logged one shot and one minor penalty.

News & Notes

• Sharks at Golden Knights Preview: Let it ride [Fear The Fin]
• Sharks ‘Stache Power Rankings [NHL.com]
• Puzzled by NHL’s standards for a suspension? So is this Sharks defenseman [The Mercury News]

Blood in the Water

• Hank Green likes hockey now — except for Matthew Tkachuk [SB Nation]
• ‘We’re not that good’: Evason wants to focus on Wild’s identity [Hockey Wilderness]
• On this date in Penguins history: Bill Guerin scores buzzer beater with 0.4 seconds left on the clock [Pensburgh]
• How Kirby Dach the winger helps Kirby Dach the centre [Eyes On The Prize]
• Skin(ner) In The Game [Copper and Blue]
• Michigan hockey remains in top 5 of national polls after weekend split [MLive]
• What to know heading into the upcoming Hockey Canada hearings [Sportsnet]
• Stat Pack: The Good, Bad and Intriguing from Last Week [The Hockey News]
• Luongo shines as forward in HHOF Legends Classic [NHL.com]

Recaps & Scores

• New York Islanders 4, Ottawa Senators 2
• Los Angeles Kings 5, Calgary Flames 6
• Carolina Hurricanes 3, Chicago Blackhawks 0
• St. Louis Blues 3, Colorado Avalanche 2

Click on a team name to find a recap on their SB Nation site!

On the Schedule

• Dallas Stars at Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on BSSUN, BSSWX, ESPN+
• New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on TSN2, RDS, MSGSN, ESPN+
• Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh Penguins, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on TVAS, ATTSN-PT, TSN4, ESPN+
• Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on MSG-B, SNP, ESPN+
• Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on SNE, SNO, SNW, BSFL, NBCSWA, ESPN+
• Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, HULU
• Minnesota Wild at Nashville Predators, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on BSSO, BSN, BSWI, ESPN+
• Detroit Red Wings at Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET on SN1, BSW, BSDET, ESPN+
• San Jose Sharks at Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET on ATTSN-RM, NBCSCA, ESPN+