San Jose Sharks prized rookie forward Macklin Celebrini confirmed to reporters on Monday, via Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, that he’ll return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He must come off injured reserve, which means the Sharks need to quickly create a roster opening.
Celebrini, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, has played in only the season opener due to a lower-body injury. The 18-year-old shared with the media that he got hurt during his first shift but still managed to score a goal and provide an assist in 17:35 of ice time against the Blues.
The Sharks’ rookie forward missed practice the next day for injury evaluation.
Celebrini was placed on injured reserve on October 12 and resumed team activities on Halloween.
Macklin Celebrini is a welcome return for the Sharks
The Sharks have been eager to see Celebrini back in action for the past 12 games. The center suffered a lower-body injury that sidelined him for several weeks. In his absence, San Jose has had difficulty generating offense in many of their matchups and is already lagging in the Pacific Division and Western Conference.
Celebrini engaged in contact during Monday's practice while centering the Sharks' top line.
After missing 12 games, he’s expected to return as the center of their first line alongside William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. This move would shift Mikael Granlund, who leads the team with 14 points in 13 games, to a second-line position, significantly enhancing the Sharks’ scoring options.
After a rough start without Celebrini, the Sharks have made some improvements. They currently rank last in the league with a 3-8-2 record, but they’ve won three of their last four games and have outscored opponents 14-11 during that time.
This marks a positive change for a team that recently made history as the first in the NHL to begin consecutive seasons with nine-game losing streaks.
Ty Dellandrea also returns
Ty Dellandrea will also be available for the game against Columbus. The 24-year-old scored a goal in nine games since joining the Sharks from the Stars during the offseason, but he suffered a hand injury against the Golden Knights over a week ago.
After missing four games, he’s back and is expected to return to the lineup after playing a season-high 15:13 against the Kings on October 24, which was his last game without injury.
The Sharks have three possible candidates who are exempt from waivers and could be sent to the minors to make room for the duo: forwards Ethan Cardwell and Daniil Gushchin, as well as defenseman Jack Thompson.
San Jose has sometimes maintained 15 forwards and six defensemen this season, so they might consider sending down Thompson to revert to that arrangement.
However, that seems improbable given that he currently sits ninth on the team in scoring with three assists in six games.
Gushchin has recorded only one assist in 10 appearances after making the opening night roster, while Cardwell has yet to score and carries a -2 rating in three games since being promoted to fill in for Dellandrea.
With Celebrini back in the lineup, the Sharks can genuinely strive to climb out of the league's lower standings. He offers the team a true top-six center, the only one available on their roster, and presents a chance to claim wins against formidable opponents.
Macklin Celebrini won the 2023-24 Hobey Baker Award during his single season at Boston University, where he played a key role in leading the Terriers to the NCAA Frozen Four. He concluded the season with 64 points, including 32 goals and 32 assists, across 38 games.
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