SAN JOSE – Injured center Macklin Celebrini rejoined the San Jose Sharks on the ice Thursday morning but it remains unclear as to when he’ll rejoin the team’s lineup.
“As part of his rehabilitation plan, Macklin will return to team activities today,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He has made positive progress over the past several weeks, and this will be the next step toward returning to the active roster.
“We will continue to monitor his progress but no date has yet been set for his return to game action.”
Celebrini has not played since the Sharks’ season opener on Oct. 10, when he had a goal and an assist against the St. Louis Blues in his dazzling NHL debut. Celebrini was placed on injured reserve two days later and had been considered week-to-week.
The Sharks (2-7-2) lost their first eight games without Celebrini but have bounced back to win their last two. On Thursday night, San Jose hosts Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Celebrini was selected first overall by the Sharks at the NHL Draft in June, and Bedard was taken No. 1 overall by the Blackhawks last year. Bedard led all rookies with 61 points last season before he was voted the Calder Trophy winner.
Celebrini was initially hurt during training camp last month, leaving midway through a Sept. 24 practice. He returned to practice the next day and played in an Oct. 1 preseason game against the Utah Hockey Club.
But Celebrini had to leave the game midway through the second period after he was tripped on a partial breakaway and fell hard into the end boards, exacerbating the injury.
Still, the Sharks want to give Celebrini the time to heal and return to 100%. The start of next month includes games against Celebrini’s hometown Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 2, the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 5, and Minnesota Wild on Nov. 7.
Once Celebrini does return, the Sharks have a plan for him and fellow rookie Will Smith. To mitigate the risk of more injuries, they’ll be given scheduled games off throughout the rest of the first half of the season.
Grier last week wouldn’t reveal if there will be a pattern to the built-in games off for both players, but the absences will be enough to help Celebrini and Smith, 19, adjust to an 82-game NHL season after playing half as many games at the NCAA level last year.
On days when Celebrini and Smith are not playing, they’ll be in the gym trying to improve their strength and conditioning and doing skill development drills on the ice.
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“It’s all part of player development,” Grier said. “The league’s a little different now. You have to continue to develop your players while they’re in the NHL, where, in the past, that probably wasn’t the case quite as much.
“It’s what we think is best for them to keep growing as players and as individuals.”
