Sharks forward Luke Kunin done for the season with torn ACL

The Sharks said Kunin suffered the injury in the team’s game against the Arizona Coyotes on December 13. Kunin played only 26 seconds against the Coyotes before colliding awkwardly with defenseman Patrik Nemeth and immediately leaving the game.

The Minnesota Wild originally selected Kunin in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. The right-handed forward made his NHL debut with the Wild in 2017–18 and ultimately spent parts of three seasons in Minnesota before being traded to the Nashville Predators in 2020.

Kunin lasted two full seasons in Nashville — scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 82 games during the 2021–22 regular season — before being traded to San Jose this past July in exchange for John Leonard and a 2023 third-round draft pick.

Through 282 career NHL games over parts of six regular seasons with Minnesota, Nashville and San Jose, Kunin has amassed 51 goals, 106 points, and 249 penalty minutes. He’s added four goals and five points in 14 career playoff contests with the Wild and Predators.

The Sharks have won just three of their last 10 games and currently rank seventh in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a 10–17–6 record and 26 points in 33 games. They’ll return to action, without Kunin, on Tuesday evening when they host the Calgary Flames at SAP Arena.