On the same day that Erik Karlsson re-joined his teammates on the ice for morning skate — the first time he’s been on the ice with all his teammates since Feb. 26 at Boston — Jacob Middleton took Joakim Ryan’s place next to Brent Burns in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
A week away from the post-season, San Jose’s defensive pairings are in some flux.
Middleton acquitted himself well enough in his first NHL action since Jan. 5. The rookie defender flashed quick-enough feet and sound instincts in almost 13 minutes of ice time.