Sharks place Mario Ferraro on IR, activate Jacob MacDonald

Ferraro appeared to injury himself in the Sharks’ 4-3 shootout win to the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 22 when he and Kings’ forward Trevor Lewis got tangled up along the boards, causing Ferraro to hurt himself.

He was forced to miss the Sharks’ Jan. 23 game against the New York Rangers, which they won 3-2 in overtime, and their 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 27.

Ferraro, 25, has one goal and 13 assists for 14 points through 47 games this season, averaging 22:45 of ice time. He is three points away from tying the career high he set in 2020-21. Through five NHL seasons, the 2017 second-round pick has 10 goals and 57 assists for 67 points through 299 career games, averaging 21:04 in that span.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old MacDonald hasn’t played for the Sharks since Dec. 23 when he injured himself in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. Through 17 games this season, he has six goals and one assist for seven points, averaging 11:54 of ice time.

Daily Faceoff’s Naftali Clinton put Ferraro in his five potential unsung heroes of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, published on Sunday. Ferraro signed a four-year deal which last through the 2025-26 season, and while the team may not want to part with a player like Ferraro, another franchise may be able to offer a package that the rebuilding Sharks can’t say no to.

The Sharks play the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, then the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday before taking two weeks off for the All-Star break. Their next game is Wednesday, Feb. 14 against the Winnipeg Jets.