Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini was injured in a potentially devastating blow

The San Jose Sharks could be facing a major setback in the 2024-2025 season before it officially begins as first-round draft pick Macklin Celebrini was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s game at the SAP Center against the visiting Utah Hockey Club and did not return to the court until actions.

Celebrini lost his balance and hit the boards hard after his escape attempt was stopped by goalkeeper Connor Ingram. Chased from behind by Utah forward Kevin Stenlund, Celebrini appeared to trip over Stenlund’s stick as he fired his shot:

Although Celebrini ultimately played one more inning, the Sharks announced on their social media account that Celebrini would not return for the third period of the game. Later, head coach Ryan Warsofsky was unable to provide an update on his status.

Before leaving the game, Celebrini skated 10:54 of ice time and had two shots on goal. On September 22, he already scored a goal with an assist in his first preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Sharks F Macklin Celebrini is another high-profile player who has been injured

This exhibition season has seen a strange trend as several notable competitors have struggled with injury issues and some of them will likely miss extended periods of time as they rehab their ailments.

The Los Angeles Kings will be without vice-captain and veteran defenseman Drew Doughty for the next few months after he suffered a broken ankle, while Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine suffered a gruesome leg injury in Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Ottawa Senators suffered a major blow on Tuesday when forward Tim Stutzle was blindsided by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. In response, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk challenged Xhekaj to a fight; both Stutzle and Tkachuk left the game and did not return.

Selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft out of Boston College by the Sharks, Celebrini was already dealing with a minor lower-body injury early in this preseason that briefly sidelined him from practice but did not keep him out of action.

Celebrini is expected to play a key role in helping the Sharks return to competitive form after consecutive seasons at the bottom of the rankings.

However, if his latest injury proves serious or causes him to miss any of San Jose’s first regular-season games, it will be an unfortunate setback for a young forward beginning a promising NHL career.