Celebrini to make NHL preseason debut vs. Vegas; Sharks name leadership group

SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini will play in his first career NHL preseason game Sunday when the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center.

Celebrini confirmed he will be in the lineup for Sunday’s exhibition game, the first of six the Sharks will have before they open the regular season at home against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10.

Sunday’s game starts at 5 p.m.

“It’s just another opportunity to get ready for the season,” an excited Celebrini said Sunday morning. “We have these preseason games for a reason, so I’m just going to try to go feel it out, get kind of the pace of play and hopefully get comfortable out there.”

Celebrini, selected No. 1 overall by the Sharks in the June NHL Draft, is expected to center a line Sunday with wingers Tyler Toffoli and Klim Kostin. The three have been together during the first three days of camp, and Celebrini and Toffoli could also start the regular season on the Sharks’ top line.

“There’s a reason he’s been in this league for so long,” Celebrini said of Toffoli. “So it’s been awesome to skate with him the last couple of days.”

Toffoli had 33 goals last season between his time with the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. That total would have easily led the offensively-starved Sharks in 2023-24, as Fabian Zetterlund led San Jose with 24 goals, followed by William Eklund and Anthony Duclair with 16 each. Duclair, a pending unrestricted free agent last season, was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in March.

The Sharks’ 2.20 goals per game average last season was second-lowest in the NHL. With their roster changes, the Sharks should have a more offensively balanced lineup this season.

Still, Toffoli, who has 280 career goals, and Celebrini will likely be counted on to do a lot of heavy lifting from an offensive standpoint.

“The more you play with someone, you figure out their tendencies and it gets easier to play with them and read off them,” Celebrini said of developing chemistry with Toffoli. “I don’t know if we’re like the Sedin brothers (Daniel and Henrik) yet, but hopefully we can get there.”

Celebrini participated in power-play drills during Sunday’s morning skate, playing on the first unit with Toffoli, Luca Cagnoni, Mikael Granlund, and William Eklund.

The Sharks had Henry Thrun, Kostin, Collin Graf, Quentin Musty, and Jack Thompson on the second unit.

Toffoli, Granlund, Eklund, and Celebrini all figure to be part of the Sharks’ power play this season, either on the first or second units. Last season, San Jose ranked 21st on the man advantage in the NHL at 20.2%.

The Sharks brought back assistant coach Brian Wiseman to once again coordinate the power play.

“It’s like any system,” said Celebrini, who scored a power-play goal for the Sharks in his one game at the seven-team Rookie Faceoff event in El Segundo earlier this month. “It’s tough when you don’t get many touches on it or practice it much. But the more reps we get, the more comfortable we’ll be with each other.”

LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED: The Sharks will have five alternate captains this season as they officially announced their leadership group.

General manager Mike Grier confirmed at the start of training camp that center Logan Couture would be the Sharks’ captain for a sixth-straight season. Defenseman Mario Ferraro is again part of the leadership group as he will be a full-time alternate captain.

Toffoli and Barclay Goodrow will serve as alternate captains for home games, and Granlund and Luke Kunin serve as alternate captains for all road games. Last season, Granlund and Kunin wore the ‘A’ for the Sharks at the end of the year in select games.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have a terrific group of talented and high-character players to serve as our leadership group for the 2024-25 season, led by Logan Couture as our captain,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said in a statement. “Each of these players bring unique qualities and characteristics that not only show leadership by example but that will also serve as an extension of our coaching staff.”