San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner announced Saturday that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov has been ruled out of the remainder of the season after dealing with numerous injuries, according to The Athletic's Corey Masisak.
Knyzhov hasn't suited up for a game this season after undergoing surgery on a lower-body ailment in October. He was initially expected to miss 8-to-10 weeks.
The 24-year-old experienced setbacks after the procedure, including infections.
"The poor guy, he was on an IV for a couple months, trying to just clear the infection out of his system," Boughner said, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.
Knyzhov also had to contend with groin issues and a sports hernia.
There is no timeline for Knyzhov to begin skating again, but the team believes he's now on an upward trajectory and has put the worst of the experience behind him, per team beat reporter Curtis Pashelka.
Knyzhov enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Sharks last year, logging 10 points in 59 games while averaging 16:44 minutes of ice time. He showed promise as a top-four defenseman and played alongside Erik Karlsson.
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