SAN JOSE — It’s a lineup the San Jose Sharks and their fans hope to see for at least the next decade or so: Macklin Celebrini centering the team’s top line and Will Smith playing the middle on the second.
Celebrini and Smith, considered the Sharks’ top two under-20 players, will play in their first preseason game together on Tuesday when San Jose hosts the Utah Hockey Club at SAP Center.
During the Sharks’ morning skate, Celebrini centered a line with Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund, and Smith centered another line with Collin Graf and Fabian Zetterlund on the wings.
While Tuesday’s game is just the second of the preseason for both Celebrini and Smith, it still offers an initial glimpse of the two potentially future franchise cornerstones in the same lineup in an NHL arena. The two also played together in one game at the Rookie Faceoff in El Segundo in mid-September.
“It’s going to be really cool,” Smith said. “We’re in the preseason, but we’re still playing an NHL game, first time together, so it’ll be cool.”
Celebrini and Smith have been rooming together and getting to know each other since before training camp began.
“Their friendship’s growing, and their (chemistry’s) growing as they integrate themselves with the group,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “I think they’re both excited. They love the game of hockey, they have a great passion to play and get better, which is nice to see.
“They’re great teammates, and more importantly, they’re great human beings. So it’s been good.”
On special teams Tuesday morning, Smith, Eklund, Graf, Alexander Wennberg, and defenseman Luca Cagnoni also worked one power-play unit, and Celebrini, Toffoli, Zetterlund, Andrew Poturalski, and Jake Walman worked the other.
Both Celebrini and Smith have played in one preseason game so far. Celebrini had a goal and an assist in his NHL exhibition game debut on Sept. 22 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and Smith was held off the scoresheet two days later in the Sharks’ home game against the Anaheim Ducks.
“Honestly excited for tonight,” Celebrini said. “I haven’t played in a little over a week, so I’m excited to play again.”
The Sharks have two more preseason games this week before opening the season on Oct. 10 at home against the St. Louis Blues.
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