Macklin Celebrini took warmups in Dallas on Monday, then sat out with a lower-body injury as the Sharks fell 5-0 to the Stars.
The team announced it just before puck drop. Without its star, San Jose never found the net.
Ryan Warsofsky didn't offer much. "We'll evaluate tonight and tomorrow and see where he's at. He's still being evaluated."
There was one small positive. "I mean, he's here in the building, so he's with the team," the coach said when asked about Celebrini sitting with the scratches.
The timing is cruel. The 20-year-old had five assists in his first two games, including two on the power play and one shorthanded.
Last season he finished fourth in the NHL with 115 points, and he's already at 183 points in 154 career games.
Ryan Warsofsky's Sharks can't afford a long Celebrini absence
San Jose looked lost without him in Dallas. Getting held scoreless is what happens when a team's engine is watching from the stands.
Celebrini was just named captain, and his puck relay to a young fan earlier this week showed how much he already means to this market.
The Sharks should take every precaution here. A 20-year-old franchise player with a lower-body issue in early October is the last place to gamble.
Rushing him back would be like taking the cast off early because the weekend forecast looks nice.
Mike Grier built this team around Celebrini's talent, and the 20-year-old still carries just a $975,000 cap hit. Protecting that investment matters more than any single game.
The Sharks visit St. Louis on Thursday, then host Edmonton on Saturday. That gives the medical staff a couple of days to get answers.
For now, he's "still being evaluated." In San Jose, those three words will carry a lot of weight until Thursday.
Should the Sharks hold Macklin Celebrini out until he's fully healthy?
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