Sharks list No. 1 overall pick day-to-day with lower-body injury

The San Jose Sharks have avoided the worst news with reigning first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. 

Celebrini suffered the injury after careening into the boards in San Jose’s Tuesday night matchup. The injury forced the rookie out of the game midway through the second period – though it seems his status for the team’s opener is still hopeful.

The Sharks have taken extra precautions with Celebrini throughout his first training camp, limiting some of his activities as he worked through what head coach Ryan Warsofsky described as a minor injury. 

Celebrini’s new injury seems unrelated to those woes, though it could lead San Jose to amp up its caution ahead of the October 10 opener.

Celebrini has been manning the team’s top line throughout training camp, flanked by William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. Celebrini’s offensive upside in the pros hasn’t been tested, but he was a point-per-game scorer in both college and juniors – last season becoming the youngest player to win the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award. 

If those knacks translate to the top flight, San Jose could already wield more offensive upside than it did through the entirety of last season. The Sharks will likely turn toward fellow high-scoring college athlete Will Smith to man the top line should Celebrini be forced to miss any part of the early season.