SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks might get a better understanding of how close Macklin Celebrini is to returning to the team’s lineup as soon as next week.
The Sharks are scheduled to practice on both Monday and Wednesday in San Jose as they start to wind down their five-game homestand. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday that Celebrini, who has been on injured reserve with a hip issue for over three weeks, won’t play in a game until he practices with some contact.
Celebrini rejoined team activities on Thursday and has participated in two morning skates with the Sharks and one practice, which didn’t appear to have much in the way of contact or battle drills.
Celebrini was the first Sharks player on the ice Saturday morning – and the last one off — as the team had an optional skate before its game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center.
Celebrini stayed on the ice for about 90 minutes Saturday morning, with he and fellow injured forward Ty Dellandrea only leaving after the Zamboni came on and began cleaning the ice.
The Sharks, who entered Saturday on a three-game win streak, finish their homestand with games against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
There’s no guarantee Celebrini will return next week even if he is a full participant in practice, as Warsofsky recently said the 18-year-old center remains week-to-week. The Sharks also want to give Celebrini as much time as he needs to heal, so the issue is in the rearview mirror for good.
“We have a pretty good plan going forward,” Warsofsky said. “We won’t put him in a game without contact. So that’s kind of where it’s at.”
Celebrini played through the hip injury in his NHL debut on Oct. 10 and had a goal and an assist in the Sharks’ 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Sharks, before their game against the Canucks, had a 3-6-2 record in games without Celebrini this season.
SMITH’S NICKNAME: Sharks center Will Smith clutched a bouquet of fresh pink flowers as he entered the Sharks’ dressing room on Saturday after the morning skate. A fan had given them to Smith for scoring the first two goals of his NHL career on Thursday as the Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.
Smith also has a fresh, new nickname within the Sharks, as defenseman Jake Walman called him “Puppy,” after a lyric by hip-hop artist Luh Tyler in a song called “2 Slippery.”
“She don’t want no puppy, she want a big dog,” the lyric goes.
Walman said he gave Smith the nickname because he knows the 19-year-old, one of the youngest players in the NHL, will soon become a ‘big dog.’
“It’s definitely his vibe,” Smith said of Walman. “It’s his song.”
It’s all in fun, Smith said.
“We have two Smitties too, so I probably need a new name anyway,” Smith said, mentioning fellow forward Givani Smith.
Combining both on the active roster and IR, the Sharks have 12 players who are new to the organization. Some ribbing and friendly banter helps bring the group closer together.
“We actually have a pretty funny group. We’ve got a bunch of characters,” Will Smith said. “Even when we had that tough losing streak, guys were still coming to the rink, and it wasn’t depressing or anything. Guys were ready for that first win. So I think that was huge.”
Smith said he received countless messages of congratulations after his rtwo-goal performance, too many to go over Thursday night.
On both of his goals, Smith was able to find some open ice. His second goal came from right next to the faceoff circle as he slipped behind the defense, and the first one was almost a carbon copy after he received a pass from Luke Kunin.
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“If you watched us at (Boston College), something that my linemates and I would always do is try to find that soft area or the weak side,” Smith said. “It’s kind of funny. I was actually talking about that the other day, and then my first goal happened to be in the same place.
“I asked (Kunin), ‘Did you hear me or did you see me?’ He said, ‘Both.’”
LINEUP NOTES: With Timothy Liljegren entering the Sharks’ lineup Saturday, fellow right-shot defenseman Jack Thompson will be a healthy scratch. Thompson has three points, all assists, in six games with the Sharks this year as he’s averaged 16:38 in ice time.
Givani Smith and Klim Kostin will also be healthy scratches on Saturday. Kostin has now been scratched in three straight games after he had zero points in his first seven games. Givani Smith has played in only two of 13 games this season.
