Here's a news article on the projected lineups for the Sharks vs. Canucks game on December 27, 2025:

Sharks and Canucks Face Off in Anticipated Matchup

Vancouver, BC – The San Jose Sharks are set to clash with the Vancouver Canucks tonight at Rogers Arena in what promises to be an exciting contest. Both teams are looking to improve their standings, with the Sharks currently holding a 17-17-3 record and the Canucks at 15-18-3.

Projected Lineups

Here's a look at the projected lineups for both teams, according to NHL.com staff writers and independent correspondents:

San Jose Sharks:

• Forwards: William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Igor Chernyshov / Collin Graf – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli / Jeff Skinner – Ty Dellandrea – Adam Gaudette / Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves
• Defense: Dmitry Orlov – John Klingberg / Mario Ferraro – Shakir Mukhamadullin / Sam Dickinson – Vincent Iorio
• Goaltenders: Yaroslav Askarov / Alex Nedeljkovic

The Sharks will be without Vincent Desharnais, Philipp Kurashev, Will Smith, and Timothy Liljegren due to upper body injuries. William Eklund has been moved to the top line, replacing Collin Graf, who will slot into the second line. Nick Leddy is expected to be a scratch for the fourth time in five games, with Vincent Iorio returning to the lineup after being a scratch for one game.

Vancouver Canucks:

• Forwards: Evander Kane – Elias Pettersson – Kiefer Sherwood / Jake DeBrusk – Marco Rossi – Brock Boeser / Drew O'Connor – David Kampf – Conor Garland / Liam Ohgren – Max Sasson – Linus Karlsson
• Defense: Marcus Pettersson – Filip Hronek / Zeev Buium – Tyler Myers / Elias Pettersson – Tom Willander
• Goaltenders: Thatcher Demko / Kevin Lankinen

Elias Pettersson will make his return to the lineup after missing eight games due to an upper-body injury. The Canucks will be without Filip Chytil, who remains in concussion protocol, as well as Teddy Blueger and Derek Forbort, who are sidelined with lower body and undisclosed injuries, respectively. P.O. Joseph, Aatu Raty and Nils Hoglander are expected to be scratched.

Team Performance and Recent Games

The San Jose Sharks enter tonight's game on a three-game losing streak. In their most recent game, they suffered a 7-2 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Canucks are coming off a 5-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Players to Watch

• Macklin Celebrini (Sharks): Celebrini leads the Sharks with 55 points in 37 games and had two assists in his first game against the Canucks this season. In his last 10 games, Celebrini has tallied 5 goals and 10 assists.
• Collin Graf (Sharks): Graf has been a strong offensive contributor recently, with 7 goals and 3 assists in his last 10 games.
• Conor Garland (Canucks): Garland has been a key player for the Canucks, with 7 goals and 13 assists this season.
• Kiefer Sherwood (Canucks): With Quinn Hughes now with the Minnesota Wild and Elias Pettersson recently returning from injury, Sherwood is expected to be a key offensive player for the Canucks. He has 10 points in 15 home games and has recorded a point in five of his last nine games at Rogers Arena.

Analysis

The Sharks and Canucks have displayed contrasting defensive records this season. The Sharks have allowed 128 goals, while the Canucks have allowed 122. The Sharks have struggled defensively, allowing an average of 3.46 goals per game, making them the worst defensive team in the league. The Canucks are not far behind, allowing 3.39 goals per game.

Odds and Predictions

Vancouver is favored to win, with moneyline odds at -152. San Jose's moneyline is +126. The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals.

Given both teams' defensive vulnerabilities, a high-scoring game is anticipated.