Sharks forward Luke Kunin undergoes ACL surgery

The San Jose Sharks will be without Luke Kunin for the rest of the 2022-23 season after he underwent successful ACL repair surgery. The injury happened December 13 against the Arizona Coyotes. In a statement, the Sharks included an estimated recovery timeline of six to eight months.

San Jose has recalled C.J. Suess from the AHL ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

Kunin, 25, had been good for the Sharks this year, scoring five goals and 13 points while continuing the physical style that he embraced last season.

Signed to a new two-year, $5.5M contract in the summer, Kunin will at least have some financial security to fall back on now that he heads into a long recovery period. He’ll make $3M next season and be due an equal qualifying offer in the summer of 2024 as an RFA.

Interestingly, Kunin might actually have been a potential deadline target for clubs looking to add some depth to their lineup. Given his relatively low cap hit of $2.75M and the fact that the Sharks are going to have to eventually accept a rebuild, he would have been an attractive option. That story will have to wait for next year’s deadline now – if it is told at all.