The San Jose Sharks visit the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center on Monday night, with both teams adjusting their lineups due to injuries and recent performances. The Ducks will be without forward Frank Vatrano after his injury in a loss to the Kings, while the Sharks remain hampered by multiple upper-body ailments. Projected lineups highlight young talents like Macklin Celebrini for San Jose and Leo Carlsson for Anaheim.
The San Jose Sharks (18-17-3) take on the Anaheim Ducks (21-15-2) at 10 p.m. ET on Monday, December 29, 2025, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Broadcasts are available on KTTV, Victory+, and NBCSCA. Both teams enter the game with projected lineups reflecting ongoing adjustments to injuries and scratches.
For the Sharks, the forward lines are expected to feature William Eklund centering with Macklin Celebrini and Igor Chernyshov on the top line, followed by Collin Graf, Alexander Wennberg, and Tyler Toffoli. The third line includes Jeff Skinner, Ty Dellandrea, and Adam Gaudette, while Barclay Goodrow, Zack Ostapchuk, and Ryan Reaves round out the fourth. On defense, pairings are Dmitry Orlov with John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro with Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Sam Dickinson with Vincent Iorio. Goalies are Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic, with Nick Leddy scratched. The Sharks have several injured players: Vincent Desharnais, Philipp Kurashev, Will Smith, and Timothy Liljegren, all with upper-body issues.
The Ducks' projected forwards start with Chris Kreider, Leo Carlsson, and Mikael Granlund, then Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, and Beckett Sennecke. Nikita Nesterenko joins Ryan Poehling and Troy Terry on the third line, and Ross Johnston, Jansen Harkins, and Alex Killorn form the fourth. Defense pairs include Jackson LaCombe with Drew Helleson, Olen Zellweger with Jacob Trouba, and Pavel Mintyukov with Ian Moore. Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek are the goalies, with Ryan Strome scratched. Injuries sideline Frank Vatrano (upper body) and Radko Gudas (illness).
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville noted that Vatrano's injury occurred when he slid head-first into the side boards early in the third period during a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. The full extent will be diagnosed later on Monday. Nesterenko returns to the lineup after 13 straight scratches, and Mintyukov steps in for Gudas on defense after being scratched against the Kings. This Pacific Division matchup provides an opportunity for both teams to build momentum amid their respective challenges.
