Celebrini rested, hopes to be ‘as sharp as possible’ down stretch for Sharks

SAN JOSE -- Macklin Celebrini will look to build on his return from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off when the San Jose Sharks visit the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, NBCSCA, NHLN).

The No. 1 pick from the 2024 NHL Draft needed just 3:41 to score Sunday in San Jose’s first game since Feb. 8, a 3-2 loss at the Calgary Flames. Celebrini leads all rookies with 18 goals in 46 games.

“It was great. It really benefited me,” Celebrini said of the break. “It helps getting a little bit of time to kind of regroup after the first half of the year.”

Celebrini became the Sharks’ No. 1 center when Mikael Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 1. The 18-year-old has four points (two goals, two assists) since the move.

He received some help behind him with the returns of veteran centers Nico Sturm and Alexander Wennberg from injury Sunday. Sturm (lower body), 29, was activated from injured reserve Friday after missing eight games; Wennberg (upper body), 30, missed four games.

“[We] just want to be as sharp as possible,” Celebrini said. “I think it's important for us to want to balance some things from our previous games [and] watching film. Missing those guys, it was tough.

“Having getting that break, it definitely helped those guys heal and get ready for this last stretch.”

Much like their first 58 games this season, the final stretch doesn’t get any easier for the Sharks (15-36-7), who are last in the NHL standings. The game Monday against the Jets (40-14-3), who have won nine in a row and are second in the League, is the second of a seven-game road trip.

Prior to the loss Sunday, coach Ryan Warsofsky spent the week of practice implementing new systems.

"The big thing will be getting numbers around the puck through the defensive and neutral zone,” said Warsofsky, who is in his first season as an NHL head coach. “We're hopeful we'll have more numbers around pucks so if there is a breakdown, we have layered support. That's been a big emphasis.”

Despite the loss to the Flames, Celebrini said he felt the effects of the system changes. San Jose was outshot 36-29 and gave Calgary six power plays.

“I thought we played tight. I thought we didn't give up much, which is good,” he said. “We don't want to give up too many chances, and I felt like we did a good job bearing down.”

Celebrini, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, was not selected to play for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but there are more opportunities in his future with NHL players participating at the Olympics in 2026 and 2030, as well as the World Cup of Hockey 2028.

“I was really pushing for [Celebrini] to be on [Canada],” San Jose defenseman Jake Walman said. “I think it was one of those tournaments where you can't really play scared, and he's one of those guys that just goes head-on into battles.

“If he tries stuff and it doesn't work, he'll try it again, and it's kind of what you needed in that tournament."