San Jose Sharks heart Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 choose within the 2024 NHL Draft, has been positioned on injured reserve and is taken into account week to week with a lower-body harm, the workforce and coach Ryan Warsofsky introduced Saturday.
An injured reserve placement requires a seven-day keep at minimal and meaning Celebrini will miss a minimum of three video games, together with Saturday’s house contest in opposition to the Anaheim Ducks. The lower-body harm that he’s coping with will even hold him out of video games subsequent week in Dallas and Chicago on the Sharks’ first highway journey.
The earliest that Celebrini can return to motion is Friday in Winnipeg. The Sharks do return house for an Oct. 20 recreation in opposition to Colorado.
The 18-year-old didn’t follow Friday after making a huge impact in his anticipated first recreation, scoring a objective and aiding on one other. Enjoying because the Sharks’ top-line heart, the North Vancouver native and reigning NCAA participant of the 12 months scored and arrange Tyler Toffoli’s objective through the first interval Thursday in opposition to St. Louis. San Jose would construct a 4-1 lead after two intervals earlier than the Blues rallied to tie the sport within the third and win, 5-4, in additional time.
Warsofsky wouldn’t affirm to reporters if this lower-body concern is said to the one he handled within the preseason. Celebrini acquired harm throughout an Oct. 2 exhibition in opposition to Utah and was not obtainable for the workforce’s ultimate two preseason contests. He would return to follow Monday and proclaimed himself match to play within the workforce’s opener.
“(He’s) week to week. That’s actually all I’ve acquired,” Warsofsky instructed reporters after Saturday’s morning skate. “I can’t put a timeline on it, to be sincere with you. I believe week to week is correct round the place we’re considering. We’ll simply see the way it progresses by his rehab right here the following couple (of) days.”
The Sharks have massive issues in thoughts for Celebrini after successful the draft lottery in Could following a 19-54-9 season the place that they had the worst document within the NHL. He has been their No. 1 heart for the reason that begin of coaching camp and has been centering Toffoli and William Eklund.
Following his two-point debut, Warsofsky mentioned, “We’ve seen all of it coaching camp. By the rookie match. He clearly has a excessive motor. Excessive hockey IQ. Could make issues occur and actually fast. And he desires to make issues occur each shift. I’m not too stunned.”
MACKLIN CELEBRINI HAS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL IN HIS FIRST NHL GAME!!! 🤩 #NHLFaceOff
📺: @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm pic.twitter.com/y5D0IVrbot
— NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2024
How will the Sharks regulate to Celebrini’s harm?
Mikael Granlund’s worth to the workforce is already coming into play. Due to Logan Couture being harm just about all of 2023-24 and Tomas Hertl finally being traded to Vegas, Granlund was basically the Sharks’ No. 1 heart final season. He’d have a 60-point comeback season in 69 video games.
Whereas he performed on left wing Thursday, Granlund has intensive expertise at heart and the 32-year-old Finnish playmaker will take over Celebrini’s spot between Eklund and Toffoli. The Sharks’ corresponding roster transfer Saturday was recalling defenseman Jack Thompson from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda however they’ve acquired additional forwards that may slide into the lineup.
Klim Kostin is predicted to attract in Saturday night time in opposition to Anaheim after being a wholesome scratch Thursday. Kostin, a 25-year-old energy ahead, had 5 targets and 5 assists in 19 video games with the Sharks after coming to them in a March 8 commerce with Detroit.
If something, Celebrini’s harm places a dent in his sizzling begin and the Sharks will hope that {the teenager} isn’t coping with one thing that can recur usually. A protracted-term absence might have an effect on his possibilities of successful the Calder Trophy as rookie of the 12 months. This 12 months’s class is a powerful one with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov, Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier, Dallas’ Logan Stankoven and San Jose’s personal Will Smith as potential candidates.
Required studying
• Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini, 2024 No. 1 pick, notches first goal and assist in NHL debut
• Macklin Celebrini’s big NHL debut: What we saw from the Sharks’ No. 1 pick
(Photograph: Ezra Shaw / Getty Photographs)
