SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini will make his preseason debut on Saturday when the San Jose Sharks face the Utah Mammoth at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City to finish their exhibition schedule.
Celebrini has been unable to play in the Sharks’ first five preseason games as he recovered from what the team described as an illness after he took part in the first day of training camp on Sept. 18. Up until Wednesday of this week, Celebrini had been held out of contact drills.
The Sharks are expected to dress most of their players on the NHL roster on Saturday in their final tune-up before the start of the regular season. The Sharks begin the 2025-26 season on Thursday at home against the Golden Knights.
The Sharks improved to 2-3-0 this preseason with a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Winger Pavol Regenda, who is trying to earn a spot on the Sharks’ season-opening 23-man roster, had four assists, including three on Ethan Cardwell’s goals.
The Sharks must reduce their roster to 23 players by Monday at 2 p.m. (PT). The biggest question the Sharks will have is whether to keep two of their top prospects, forward Michael Misa and defenseman Sam Dickinson, for at least part of the season. If they do, more players on waivers, with forwards Regenda, Egor Afanasyev, and Carl Grundstrom, and defenseman Jack Thompson being among the possibilities.
NHL teams have 24 hours to claim anyone placed on waivers. If that player is not claimed, they can be assigned to the club’s AHL affiliate. At the start of the season, if multiple teams submit a waiver claim for a player, the team that finished last in the NHL standings the previous season wins the claim.
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