The San Jose Sharks may face a major setback to their 2024-25 season before it officially begins, as first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s game at SAP Center against the visiting Utah Hockey Club and did not return to action.

Celebrini lost his balance and slid hard into the boards after his breakaway attempt was stopped by goaltender Connor Ingram. Pursued from behind by Utah forward Kevin Stenlund, Celebrini appeared to trip over Stenlund's stick just as he was releasing his shot:

While Celebrini would eventually play one more shift, the Sharks announced on their social media account that Celebrini would not return for the third period of play. Afterward, head coach Ryan Warsofsky wasn't able to provide an update on his status.

Before leaving the game, Celebrini skated in 10:54 of ice time while firing two shots on goal. He had already picked up a goal with an assist in his first pre-season game against the Vegas Golden Knights on September 22.

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San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) during the second period against the Utah Hockey Club at SAP Center at San Jose
Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
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This exhibition season has seen a bizarre trend, with several notable players encountering injury troubles, some of whom are now expected to miss extended time as they rehabilitate their respective ailments.

The Los Angeles Kings are without alternate captain and veteran defenseman Drew Doughty for the next several months after he suffered a fractured ankle, while Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine suffered a gruesome-looking leg injury on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators suffered a significant blow when forward Tim Stutzle was blindsided by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. In response, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk challenged Xhekaj to a fight; both Stutzle and Tkachuk left the game and did not return.

Taken as the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft out of Boston College by the Sharks, Celebrini was already dealing with a minor lower-body injury earlier this pre-season that briefly sidelined him from practice but didn’t keep him out of game action.

Celebrini is expected to play a pivotal role in helping the Sharks return to competitive form after consecutive seasons at the bottom of the standings.

However, if his latest injury proves to be serious or causes him to miss any of San Jose's early regular-season games, it would be an unfortunate setback for the young forward as he embarks on what is anticipated to be a promising NHL career.