Macklin Celebrini could return for the Sharks on Saturday against Connor McDavid and the Oilers, and he made it clear he never wanted to miss a game.
"If we're being real, I would have played," Celebrini said Friday. "I want to be out there. It killed me not to."
The captain sat out in Dallas after warmups and again Thursday in St. Louis, deferring to the team's trainers on a lower-body injury.
"Talking to my trainers, it wasn't the smart thing to do, and it wasn't something that I should do," he said. "I listened to their advice."
Ryan Warsofsky called his status for Saturday a "game-time decision." Celebrini's own read was simple: "There's always a chance. I feel pretty good."
He skated Friday, jumped into some line rushes and stayed out for extra work. All good signs ahead of an afternoon matinee against the Oilers.
A Celebrini and McDavid showdown would headline Saturday in San Jose
The two were Team Canada linemates at the Milan Olympics. Facing each other on Saturday would give San Jose a marquee afternoon.
Celebrini had five assists in his first two games before getting hurt. McDavid arrives leading an Oilers team that sits at 3-0-1.
The Sharks managed without him, sitting at 3-1-0 after a 3-2 overtime win in St. Louis. "Has it been the best hockey? No," Celebrini admitted.
The Sharks are right to be careful, even if their captain hates it. A 20-year-old franchise player is worth one more missed game if it means avoiding a longer setback.
It's like keeping a kid inside at recess with a sore ankle. He'll complain all afternoon, but he'll be running again by Monday.
His father, Rick, the Golden State Warriors' vice-president of player health and performance, has been a key voice too. "My dad's someone I've leaned on my whole life," Celebrini said.
Darnell Nurse also gets his first crack at his former team on Saturday. If Celebrini plays, the afternoon in San Jose might be the best show in the league.
Should Macklin Celebrini play against the Oilers on Saturday?
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