Game Preview: Wild at Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Minnesota Wild arrives in San Jose today, ready to go Shark fishing, fresh off of a hot 5-2 win over the Golden Knights in Vegas on Monday.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Wednesday, December 31st at 3:00 p.m. CT
• Where: SAP Center (San Jose, California)
• Watch: FanDuel Sports North
• Listen: KFAN
• Gamecenter: Wild at Sharks

Wild Record: 24-10-6

Sharks Record: 19-17-3

2025-26 Series Record: 0-0-2

All-Time Wild Record: 43-36-11 (20-21-4 at San Jose)

Last Time Out

This Season on Wild vs. Sharks

San Jose won the first meeting, 6-5, in overtime at Grand Casino Arena (10/26) and the second game, 2-1, in overtime in St. Paul (11/11).

D Brock Faber (0-3=3) and LW Kirill Kaprizov (0-3=3) lead the Wild with three points each in the series. C Ryan Hartman (1-1=2) has recorded two points. G Jesper Wallstedt stopped 19-of-25 shots faced in the first game, while G Filip Gustavsson saved 16-of-18 shots faced in the second contest.

C Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with five points (1-4=5) against the Wild this season. LW William Eklund (2-1=3) owns three points. G Yaroslav Askarov is 2-0-0 with a 2.86 GAA and .903 SV% in two starts against Minnesota this year.

Wild Leaders Against Sharks

• RW Mats Zuccarello leads the Wild with 34 points (11-23=34) in 33 career contests against the Sharks
• Kaprizov owns 27 points (12-15=27) in 20 games, his highest point total against any single opponent
• D Quinn Hughes has 25 points (7-18=25) in 19 games
• RW Vladimir Tarasenko has 22 points (10-12=22) in 30 games

Sharks Leaders Against Wild

• D John Klingberg (6-17=23 in 34 games) and RW Tyler Toffoli (12-11=23 in 35 games) lead the Sharks with 23 career points each vs. Minnesota
• D Nick Leddy has 21 points (3-18=21) in 39 games
• LW Jeff Skinner (7-6=13 in 22 games) and Celebrini (5-6=13 in five games) each own 13 points

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On the Mend

Daemon Hunt: lower body (six games missed)

Full Injury Report

Connections

• Minnesota President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin skated in 16 games with San Jose during the 2006-07 season
• D Jake Middleton recorded 12 points (3-9=12) and 82 PIM in 59 games for San Jose in parts of four seasons (2018-22)
• C Nico Sturm posted 52 points (26- 26=52) in 184 games across three seasons (2022-25) with San Jose
• Sharks Amateur Scout Thomas Vanek recorded 93 points (39-54=93) in 154 games across two seasons (2014-16) with the Wild
• Leddy hails from Eden Prairie and was selected by Minnesota in the first round (16th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft
• Klingberg recorded nine points (2-7=9) in 17 games with Minnesota during the 2022-23 season
• F Ryan Reaves skated in 61 games and notched 15 points (5-10=15) with the Wild in 2022-23
• Wild broadcaster Alex Stalock Posted a 24-20-7 record with a 2.45 GAA, a .908 SV% and four shutouts in 63 games (47 starts) over parts of six seasons with San Jose (2010-16)

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has earned points in nine consecutive games against San Jose (7-0-2) since 3/11/23 and 14 of the last 17 meetings (12-2-2) since 4/16/21
• Minnesota is 7-2-3 in its last 12 contests against the Sharks at Grand Casino Arena since 1/22/21
• The Wild has points in six of the last seven games played at SAP Center (6-1-0)

For more information on today's matchup, check out the game notes below.