The San Jose Sharks will determine center Macklin Celebrini’s availability to play Thursday against the St. Louis Blues closer to game time.
Celebrini, whose lower-body injury kept him out of the Sharks’ game against the Dallas Stars on Monday and from practicing on Tuesday and Wednesday, joined the team’s optional morning skate on Thursday at Enterprise Center.
Per NHL.com, Celebrini stayed on the ice after the morning skate, which often indicates a player will not dress for that night’s game.
Celebrini leads the Sharks with five points, all assists. If he can’t play against the Blues, Will Smith will likely take over as the team’s No. 1 center.
Celebrini has been dealing with the injury for a short while and was scratched from Monday’s lineup just minutes after feeling discomfort during the team’s pregame warmups. Celebrini has missed 13 games due to injury since the start of his rookie season in 2024-25, and the Sharks are 3-9-1 in those games.
“Really can’t get into the details,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters of Celebrini’s injury. “I know I can say he’s worked extremely hard off the ice with our group to get healthy. He’s a true pro in every sense of that.”
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic will make his first start of the season for the Sharks, who are looking to bounce back from a 5-0 loss to the Stars.
Thursday’s game is the home opener for the Blues, who began the season with a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Oct. 2, followed by a 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche the next night, and a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Defenseman Sam Dickinson will be in the Sharks’ lineup for the second straight game, with Nolan Allan remaining a healthy scratch.
After Thursday, the Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at 8 p.m.