- Macklin Celebrini is a game-time decision for the Sharks in St. Louis on Thursday
- The Sharks captain hit the ice for morning skate after missing two straight practices
- Read below for what Ryan Warsofsky said about the lower-body injury, plus video
Macklin Celebrini might not be out for long after all.
The Sharks captain is a game-time decision for Thursday night’s game against the Blues at Enterprise Center. Elliotte Friedman confirmed it shortly after Celebrini took part in the morning skate. Here’s Friedman’s post:
It’s a big step from earlier in the week. Celebrini sat out practice Tuesday and Wednesday and didn’t skate on his own either day.
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now caught him heading out for the skate in St. Louis. Watch the video:
Celebrini was a late scratch on Monday in Dallas with a lower-body injury after going through warmups. San Jose got shut out 5-0 by the Stars and managed just 13 shots on goal without him.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky was asked Tuesday if Celebrini got hurt in warmups. He made it clear this has been going on for a while.
“It didn’t happen in warm-ups,” Warsofsky said. “This has been something we’ve been trying to manage here a little bit.”
He put Celebrini in the day-to-day category but wouldn’t say how long the team has known about the issue.
That turned into a bit of a mess on Tuesday. TSN’s Chris Johnston said on Insider Trading that Celebrini had been managing the injury through training camp. Warsofsky didn’t love hearing that when it came up Wednesday.
“That’s completely wrong. That’s not true,” Warsofsky said.
Johnston walked it back when San Jose Hockey Now reached out to him.
“I misspoke by referencing training camp and was only trying to say that he’s under evaluation and there’s no apparent concern it’s a long-term issue,” Johnston said.
Warsofsky also explained why the Sharks aren’t worried. Celebrini stayed with the team on the road trip instead of flying home.
“Usually, when a player is hurt and we think it’s more serious, we send him home,” Warsofsky said. “So he’s here with us, getting treatment with our group, and we’ll see how he is.”
If Celebrini can’t go, Will Smith is the likely fill-in down the middle. Smith skated at center in practice the last two days.
San Jose would love to have its best player back. Celebrini had five assists in the first two games of the season, both overtime wins over the Panthers and Kings. Last year he finished fourth in the NHL with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games.
The Sharks (2-1-0) will make the call on their captain closer to the 8 p.m. ET puck drop.
