"Joe's playing at not 100 percent, and I'll be honest, a lot of guys maybe even wouldn't be out there, dealing with what he's dealing with," DeBoer told the San Jose Mercury News. "He's giving us what he can, and that still is effective."

Video: Pavelski playing with unspecified injury

Pavelski, who's had at least 29 goals and 68 points in each of the past four seasons, is off to his slowest offensive start since 2007-08. He has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 18 games.

"He never uses that as an excuse," DeBoer said. "That's why I know he'll never say it, that's why I am. It's not an excuse. You'll never hear it from him. He'll do whatever he has to go get out there and help as much as he can. He's close. Like a lot of our guys, he's close to sticking some in.

"It'll get better, but the reality is he has something going on and that's part of it. To his credit, he won't come out of the lineup. He's out there giving us what he can."

Pavelski has gone four games without a goal and six games without a point.

"It's been for a little while. It's nothing that I haven't believed I couldn't play with," said Pavelski, who has missed one game since the 2011-12 season.

The Sharks, who are 10-8-0 and in sixth place in the Pacific Division, face the Anaheim Ducks at SAP Center on Monday (10:30 p.m., ET; SN, NBCSCA, FS-W, NHL.TV).