SAN JOSE — Joonas Donskoi scored one of the most iconic goals in Sharks history during the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. Now, as the Sharks prepare to make another run at hockey’s coveted prize, Donskoi finds himself as the odd man out, waiting for another opportunity to crack the lineup.
Sharks coach Pete DeBoer put Donskoi on alert last week that he was at risk of losing his spot once the team’s forward group returned to full health for the first time since it acquired Gus Nyquist in a trade deadline deal Feb. 24. With Evander Kane’s return from a bereavement absence Saturday, DeBoer followed through on his warning, scratching Donskoi, who played such a key role during the Sharks run to the final in 2016, scoring the overtime winner in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.