Per San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Macklin Celebrini will make his preseason debut against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday.
Ryan Warsofsky confirms that Macklin Celebrini will play tonight vs. Utah— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) October 4, 2025
Celebrini will have Will Smith on his right wing and Philipp Kurashev on the left, per Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. Part of the reason why Smith is moving primarily to the wing is his chemistry with Celebrini.
The young Sharks duo showcased tremendous skill while they were together. Their breakout game came against the Minnesota Wild, where Celerbini notched his first career hat trick. Smith had four points in the 8-7 loss last season.
The San Jose Sharks center had missed the entirety of the preseason games until tonight due to an illness. The Sharks have had a plan to work their franchise player back to contact slowly. Celebrini’s importance to the team’s success this season and beyond is critical, so rushing the 19-year-old back wasn’t in the cards.
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Yaroslav Askarov will start for the Sharks with puck drop at 5 p.m. PT at the Delta Center in Utah.
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