Nico Sturm said out loud what everybody is thinking about Macklin Celebrini. “Down the road, he’ll be wearing a letter here in this organization,” the 2022 Stanley Cup winner said. Celebrini is showing why,

Macklin Celebrini left Sharks practice early Tuesday with a minor lower-body injury, but he should be fine, says head coach Ryan Warsofsky.

The Sharks didn’t play Celebrini in Sunday’s rookie game contest against Anaheim, and there’s a strong possibility that he won’t suit up in another game until sometime during the preseason. Friday’s showing was enough for club officials to readily see that he’s already at a notch about his peers.

No. 1 overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini’s first official practice with the San Jose Sharks provided a needed bit of optimism for a franchise that has had little success in recent years.

The two most recent first overall picks, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, reacted to their NHL 25 ratings in a new video with EA Sports NHL. Back in June Celebrini predicted to The Hockey News that he would be a 74 or 75 overall to start, drastically underselling himself.

It didn’t take long for Macklin Celebrini to feel right at home Sunday. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks had a goal and an assist in his first game at SAP Center, a 4-2 preseason loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Macklin Celebrini made his San Jose Sharks debut against the Vegas Golden Knights and scored his first preseason goal.

Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.