The San Jose Sharks will host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but much of the attention ahead of the matchup has centered on the availability of captain Macklin Celebrini. The 20-year-old forward is listed as a game-time decision for the contest.
Is Macklin Celebrini playing today?
Sharks insider Curtis Pashelka shared an update on Celebrini’s status on X, citing head coach Ryan Warsofsky and confirming that the forward would participate in pregame warmups. “Macklin Celebrini will be a game time today, and will take warmups, per Ryan Warsofsky,” Pashelka tweeted.
However, Pashelka later confirmed that Celebrini will indeed suit up for Saturday’s matchup. “Macklin Celebrini is officially in,” he posted on X.
What happened to Macklin Celebrini?
The lower-body issue has kept Celebrini out of San Jose’s previous two games. He returned to practice Friday as a full participant but did not join the line rushes, leaving his status for Saturday’s matchup still in doubt.
Celebrini’s first absence came Monday against the Dallas Stars due to a lower-body injury. He initially joined his teammates for pregame warmups but later notified the Sharks’ training staff that something still did not feel right. The team then ruled him out, and San Jose went on to lose the matchup 5-0.
“I was optimistic going into warmups, kind of tested it out,” Celebrini said, Friday. “I mean, if I wasn’t going to be at my best or close to my best, then there was no point to play,” the Sharks captain added.
Celebrini’s impressive start to the season
The setback came after Celebrini had made an impressive start to the season. He dished out five assists in the Sharks’ opening two games, registering three during a 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on October 1 and following that up with two assists in a 5-4 overtime triumph against the Los Angeles Kings.
Celebrini enjoyed a remarkable sophomore season in the NHL, finishing with 115 points in 82 appearances, courtesy of 45 goals and 70 assists. That tally placed him fourth among the league’s point scorers.
Celebrini was appointed the youngest captain in Sharks franchise history on September 25, making him the youngest active captain in the NHL as well.
Since the Sharks picked him first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, he has accumulated 183 points over 154 games.