Macklin Celebrini Injury Could Test the Sharks Depth

The Macklin Celebrini injury caught the San Jose Sharks by surprise on Monday night. The 20-year-old captain took warmups in his usual spot on the top line as they prepared to their game versus the home side Dallas Stars. Then, just before puck drop, the Sharks announced he was out with a lower-body injury. Celebrini looked fine at the morning skate and spoke with reporters, but left warmups early. That has led to speculation that the injury happened during warmups, although the team has not said when or how he was hurt. The Sharks have not specified the injury or announced a timeline. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky had not given an update at the time of writing.

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Feb 8, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky and assistant coach Brian Wiseman (left) watch play and centre Macklin Celebrini (71) steps onto the ice for a line change against the Dallas Stars during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The timing is tough for San Jose. Celebrini had five assists through the first two games, both overtime wins over Florida and Los Angeles. He set up Igor Chernyshov’s overtime winner against the Kings. According to NHL.com, those five assists tied Joe Thornton and Vincent Damphousse for the most by a Shark through two games.

It could turn out to be a one-game absence. If Celebrini does miss time, however, the Sharks would be losing the player at the centre of almost everything they do offensively. Last season, he scored 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games, finishing fourth in league scoring and fourth in Hart Trophy voting. San Jose scored 249 goals as a team, so Celebrini had a hand in about 46 per cent of them. He scored roughly 18 per cent of them himself.

Meanwhile, the drop-off behind him is steep. Will Smith was the team’s second-leading scorer with 59 points in 69 games, barely half of Celebrini’s total. Celebrini also averaged 21:19 a night, heavy usage for a forward, so his minutes would have to go somewhere. Any extended absence would be a depth question as much as a talent question.

On top of that, the defensive side compounds the problem. The Sharks allowed 290 goals last season, 30th in the NHL. A team that leaks that many chances relies on its top line to win the scoring battle. Without Celebrini for any length of time, that margin for error would shrink quickly.

Against Dallas, Alexander Wennberg moved up to centre the top line between Mason Marchment and Smith, according to Daily Faceoff. Ty Dellandrea, a healthy scratch through the first two games, drew in as the 12th forward.

Wennberg is a reliable two-way centre, but he isn’t a primary offensive driver. If Celebrini misses more games, the bigger question would be Smith. A natural centre, Smith has been playing on Celebrini’s wing. Moving him back to the middle would add offensive skill down the centre. The cost would be the chemistry the top line built in the first two games. If Warsofsky makes that move, it would hint that the team expects to be without its captain for more than a game or two.

This isn’t the first time a lower-body issue has cost Celebrini time. As a rookie in 2024-25, he hurt his hip in the preseason, aggravated it in the season opener and missed 12 games. The Sharks were 3-8-2 when he returned in early November. He played 70 games that season, then all 82 a year ago.

Still, that durability last season is part of why the Sharks committed to him so heavily this summer. On July 29, Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million extension. Its league-record $18.8 million average annual value begins in 2027-28. Last month, the Sharks made him the youngest captain in franchise history.

For now, the key detail is the one nobody has yet for Celebrini, and that is a timeline. If this is a short absence, it would test the depth behind Celebrini. If it turns into something longer, it would test whether the Sharks’ strong start was about the team or about one player carrying it.

Main Photo Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images