SAN JOSE — Center Macklin Celebrini did not travel with the San Jose Sharks on Monday as they left for their first road trip of the season.
Celebrini, who was placed on injured reserve over the weekend with a lower-body ailment, will remain in San Jose and continue to work with the Sharks’ training staff as the team begins a three-game trip still looking for its first victory of the season.
Celebrini has not skated since last Thursday, when he played over 17 minutes against the St. Louis Blues and had two points in his NHL debut. He missed Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, a 2-0 Sharks loss.
Celebrini, at a minimum, will also have to miss Tuesday’s game in Dallas and Thursday’s game in Chicago, denying fans the opportunity to see the Sharks No. 1 overall pick from this past June play against Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in 2023. The Sharks are 0-1-1.
Celebrini would be eligible to play in the final game of the road trip on Friday in Winnipeg, something Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky could not wholly rule out Monday. But since Celebrini’s absence was initially considered week-to-week, it would be surprising to see the 18-year-old join the team during the trip and play against the Jets.
After the trip, the Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Then, on Oct. 22, they start a four-game road trip with stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Utah.
“We have a really good plan from our training staff and our sports performance staff (for) what we want to do,” Warsofsky said. “There’s another road trip coming up after that as well, but we’re really just kind of taking this thing day by day.”
In an Oct. 1 Sharks home game against the Utah Hockey Club, Celebrini was tripped on a partial breakaway and fell awkwardly on the ice before he crashed hard — hip-first — into the end boards. Celebrini did not play in the Sharks’ final two exhibition games but dazzled against the Blues in his Sharks debut.
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“I’m sure he’s frustrated, and it’s a learning moment for him,” Warsofsky said of Celebrini. “He is going to have a long career, and he’s going to have some injuries and things along the way that will pop up. So he’s working extremely hard to get back as quickly as he can.
“But he’s just taking it day by day, and it’s just part of part of the game hockey. So he’s good.”