The first-round pick of the 2024 draft, Rookie Macklin Celebrini has made strides in his recovery. With only playing one game in the NHL, the young centre is working on making his way back onto the ice, healthy and ready. With that being said, the Sharks centre is ready to return.
Sharks Centre Is Going To Return
The young rookie had been nursing this lower-body injury since the end of September, causing him to leave training camp early. Shortly after, he slid with force into the boards during the San Jose Sharks preseason game against the Utah Hockey Club. Within a day of his NHL debut on October 10th, Celerbini was placed on the injured reserved list.
Macklin Celebrini’s impact on the San Jose Sharks
Celebrini has had a large impact on the Sharks alongside his linemates Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund. Their line recorded one or more points per game during preseason and the home opener against the St. Louis Blues on October 10th.
Celerbini became the youngest player in the NHL to record two points in the first period of his debut. He scored his first goal and an assist during his debut against the St. Louis Blues.
He has missed 12 season games and the Sharks offence has struggled in his absence. The Sharks had nine back-to-back losses before they got their first win against the Utah Hockey Club on October 28th. Followed by two more wins before losing to the Vancouver Canucks on November 2nd.
Celebrini Returns to Practice
Sharks Centre Celerbini was reported to be practicing ice on October 31st with the team where he practiced in non-contact drills. His progress update still had him on a week-to-week diagnosis.
San Jose Sharks gives Official Updates on Injury progress
General Manager Mike Grier and Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky were interviewed by Max Miller from Hockey News after Celebrini’s first practice back on October 31st.
Warsofsky reported, “I’d say we kind of realized something was more in-depth after that [first] game. It’s a good learning moment for him. Life’s unfair at times. Mentally, he’s good. He was in here today working. It’s the game of hockey, right? There’s going to be injuries. Sure, it won’t be his last injury, and we’ve got to continue to move forward. He’s taking the next steps. This is kind of the progress, but to have him out there was good for our guys.”
Mike Grier gave a promising update as well, “As part of his rehabilitation plan, Macklin will return to team activities today. He has made positive progress over the past several weeks and this will be the next step toward returning to the active roster. We will continue to monitor his progress but no date has yet been set for his return to game action.”
Promising Update and Return Date Change for Celebrini
On Monday, November 4th, Celebrini was back on the ice where he participated in the contract drills. He was back in as center in the line alongside Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund. His participation in the contract drills is a welcoming sign that he should return shortly.
#SJSharks now running 5v5 drill working on line changes. Here are the lines again:
Granlund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Eklund-Wennberg-Zetterlund
Goodrow-W. Smith-Kunin
Grundstrom-Sturm-Dellandrea
Gushchin-Cardwell-KostinWalman-Ceci
Ferraro-Rutta
Thrun-Liljegren
Carlsson-Thompson— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) November 4, 2024
It has been made public that Macklin Celebrini will be back in the official lineup for the Sharks. They take on the Colombus Blue Jackets on November 5th at the SAP Center in San Jose.
Macklin Celebrini says he’s playing tomorrow #SJSharks
— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) November 4, 2024
With Celebrini’s return to the lineup, the Sharks can breathe better having their star rookie back. His return gives the Sharks the chance to redeem their wins and bring success back to them.
Main Photo: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
