It is undoubtedly the biggest question in the lead-up to Game 7.
San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer is sick of being asked.
DeBoer bristled Tuesday when quizzed about the status of captain Joe Pavelski, who has missed all of the second round due to a head injury.
The 34-year-old sharpshooter and heart-and-soul sort has been skating for several days, and a return would certainly be a big boost for the host Sharks as they try to extend their season in Wednesday’s series-finale against the Colorado Avalanche.
“He’d be playing right now if he had a clean bill of health,” DeBoer said on a conference call. “I’ve told you guys all along — I’m not hiding anything. He’s day-to-day. He’s getting better every day. We’re going to make a decision on game day whether he’s going to be available or not.
“I don’t have anything more for you. There is nothing hidden. There is no secret information here. That’s what it is.”
You can’t blame everybody for being curious.
Pavelski, who needed eight staples to close a pressure-cut on his head after a scary incident April 23, wears the ‘C’ in San Jose for a reason.
He was also the Sharks’ leading marksman in the regular season, racking up 38 goals.
He is the kind of guy you would really, really, really like in your lineup in a win-or-go-home scenario.
For what it’s worth, Pavelski told reporters prior to Game 6 that a Wednesday return could be “a possibility.”
“But it still really is day-to-day, I think, and go from there,” he said. “I wish we had a set-in-stone answer — ‘Go here, do this and be ready.’ We are just kind of taking everything into play.”
The Sharks won’t meet for a morning skate before Wednesday’s early start (6 p.m. PT, CBC/NBC), so Pavelski’s status will likely be a mystery until close to puck-drop.
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