The San Jose Sharks were the NHL's worst club in the 2023-24 season, and they were rewarded by winning the Draft Lottery with the opportunity to select Boston College phenom forward Macklin Celebrini with the first overall selection.

And while they made their pick of Celebrini, he was injured in San Jose's first game of the 2024-25 regular season and hasn't played since. Meanwhile, the Sharks fell to 0-7-2 through their first nine games before rebounding and winning their last two in a row.

The good news is that Celebrini has returned to the ice, and while he's not ready to return to game action, he's continuing to make progress, via The San Jose Mercury News.

“As part of his rehabilitation plan, Macklin will return to team activities today,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “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.”

Celebrini was hurt on October 10 against the St. Louis Blues after having registered a goal and an assist in his NHL debut. In the meantime, he'll continue to work in the gym on getting his body back into game shape and inch closer toward a return.

“It’s all part of player development,” Grier said. “The league’s a little different now. You have to continue to develop your players while they’re in the NHL, where, in the past, that probably wasn’t the case quite as much. It’s what we think is best for them to keep growing as players and as individuals.”

The Sharks are in action on Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center.

The Sharks have won two straight after losing nine in a row

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period against the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center at San Jose.
Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 Sharks season started in miserable fashion, as the team not only lost Celebrini early on but also dropped their first nine games of the year before they finally earned their first victory over the Utah Hockey Club.

In their next game, they defeated the in-state rival Los Angeles Kings by a 4-2 final score, improving their record to 2-7-2.