San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #52: Celebrini, McDavid Pass Compliments Back & Forth
EDMONTON — Future Team Canada teammates Macklin Celebrini and Connor McDavid passed compliments back and forth.
Current face of the NHL, McDavid, was asked about the 19-year-old’s quick ascension to superstar status.
“Obviously, he’s got a lot of confidence. He’s a great player, first and foremost, that’s what it is,” McDavid told Edmonton media on Wednesday. “He’s driven, it seems like. You can tell, even last year, played against him, he plays hard. He plays not a typical teenager game. He plays a hard game. He’s dug in on faceoffs, wins puck battles, and does all the little things that a veteran does.”
The Sharks are a heavy underdog Thursday. The FanDuel oddsmakers have the Sharks at a whopping +152 on the moneyline. Of course, despite a season with a few stops on the strugglebus, FanDuel research still puts the Oilers in the Stanley Cup favorites.
What does the future face of the league take from McDavid?
“The way he thinks the game. Always trying to learn from a guy like that. He slows the game down. Obviously, with his speed, he’s able to push the defense back,” Celebrini said. “But even when he’s moving at normal speed, he’s just thinking the game faster than everyone, especially on the power play.”
Another sentiment that both superstars share? Celebrini said it, but no doubt, McDavid feels the same.
“Tonight, I hope he doesn’t do anything, and in a week, I hope he does a lot,” Celebrini laughed.
San Jose Sharks (27-21-3)
Yaroslav Askarov will start.
Lines will be the same as last game:
Graf-Celebrini-Smith
Regenda-Wennberg-Toffoli
Eklund-Misa-Gaudette
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Reaves
Orlov-Klingberg
Ferraro-Liljegren
Dickinson-Desharnais
Askarov
It’s many happy returns for the Sharks in Edmonton, as ex-Oilers Vincent Desharnais and John Klingberg return.
Also, Edmonton native Zack Ostapchuk comes home.
Ostapchuk shared that he was at Game One of Sharks-Oilers in the first round of the 2017 Playoffs. It was the first time that Edmonton had made the playoffs since 2006.
“I just remember the energy in the building, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ostapchuk, then 13, said. “It was just pretty cool to see live, especially the first playoff game in what, like 10 years here?”
So Ostapchuk will have plenty of family and friends here tonight.
“Conflicting emotions in the family right now, telling me that you gotta go easy on them,” he laughed.
Edmonton Oilers (27-19-8)
No forward changes.
Ekholm is skating right now and will be a game time decision.
Ingram starts in goal. #Oilers #Sharks— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) January 29, 2026
EDM lines & pairs — Wednesday’s practice:
• Ekholm* is not on the ice.
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Savoie – Samanski – Roslovic
Janmark – Lazar – FredericRegula* – Bouchard
Nurse – Walman
Stastney – EmbersonJarry
Ingram
Pickard#Oilers— Tony Brar 🚀 (@TonyBrarOTV) January 28, 2026
Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers is at 6 PM PT at Rogers Place. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.
on Panarin (Frank Seravalli and John Buccigross)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RthNy2qSjdk
Panarin discussion begins at 11:45. One guy says ‘yes’ to SJ, one guy says ‘no’
Seravalli later on mentions he think Braedon Schnieder (sic?) is ‘way better than he’s shown’ with NYR. That’s at 28:45
Schneider would be a nice building block once the development team gets ahold of him.
If you’re trading for Schneider you’re definitely doing it under the impression that he’s a better player than he’s been for the Rangers. He hasn’t been very good. K’Andre Miller got out of New York and has looked much better in Carolina though he was better in New York than Schneider has been.
I can’t wait for the Panarin talk to disappear. Some things are more important than hockey.
Also wishing the Sarks would return Iorio to the line-up, move on from Klingberg.
Agreed. Dickinson gets closer and closer everyday to deserving a look on PP1. I bet he runs with it if he gets the chance, and then we can end the Klingberg experiment.
They’re playing him top pair. Don’t think they’re moving on unless he’s traded.
However the team moves on from Klingberg (see below trade), it does feel like its time. There’s a RHD whose not playing who needs the games. Though they’re very different sorts, Iorio might be better, even now.
He’s on the top pair largely because Orlov is the only rostered defenseman good enough to carry him.
Yeah I know. The problem is Klinger has these moments that keep enticing the staff. And it seems like he’s the only D capable of actually scoring goals.
I know Klingberg had a goal and assist against Vancouver but did anyone else think he looked really bad? Looked like he could barely stay on his feet the first two periods.
I thought his skating looked better for about the first 10 minutes then kinda fell apart. Maybe he’s on massive pain killers and they don’t last long enough.
What? They’re not even the same player, one, and two, Iorio is out for a reason. 1 good game followed by 1 meh game followed by 2 bad games.
I get Klinberg is the whipping boy here, but if he was so bad would he be playing 20-minutes a night? Likely no.
U might get your wish sooner than later as I believe Skinner and Klingberg NTCs expire tomorrow…maybe we have some trades coming?
That could very well be what Grier is waiting for?
Surprised and happy to see Askarov starting. He’s the guy I want in net for a high event opponent.
No doubt, he needs to face high level talent, but can he prevail? With an all out attack, Askarov often falls apart allowing too many goals to be scored. I want him to succeed but I’m not sure he has the discipline yet.
I was a little surprised they didn’t just keep rotating the tandem. But I think the idea is he won’t learn unless you give him a chance to learn. Can’t learn to stop McDavid and Draisaitl sitting on the bench. At some point you have to put him in there and let him be tested. The team ponied up a lot of assets to get him. No point getting him then hiding him.
Ah, you see how it is. It’s going to take time for him. They need to play the better goalie at this stage. Askarov will develop as he plays. He doesn’t last a full game. Maybe Ferraro & Co. don’t either. Play Ned when facing better teams for the time being.
as for trading with the Rangers, who says ‘yes’ to this deal?
Panarin+Schneider+Fox
for 3 1sts+Eklund+Mario+Klingberg
Breaking it down. Roughly Eklund for Panarin, three 1sts for Fox and Schneider for Mario + Klingberg
For the Sharks, instant contenders. And as long as this comes with a Panarin extension, its 3-4 years of Cup contender. Over those years, we’d see guys like Wennberg, Toffoli and Panarin age out. But younger guys like Chernyshov, Misa, Lund, Musty, Bystedt, Ostapchuk taking bigger roles.
I think Grier needs to be patient. He building through the draft and think long term that is a better plan.
so that’s 1 ‘no’
That would be a tragic deal for San Jose.
Agree 100%.
No thanks
But also I don’t think the Rangers would make this deal. If they are trading Fox then getting back Ferraro and Klingberg is meaningless to them.
Ferraro wouldn’t be meaningless as he could re-sign there, but mostly this is to match the personnel types coming and going. Obviously, the major pieces headed to NYR are the three 1st rd picks and Eklund.
Nothing personal but this would eviscerate the rebuild. Eklund may feel expendable to a lot of folks round here but he’s providing a hell of a lot more than folks give him credit for, and while you would see an immediate increase in production, you’d lose either a possible core piece or your top trade chip, for a 34-year-old winger. Three firsts for Fox, who’d an offensive wonder but not top-5 in the league, is a franchise player payment for a core piece player. You’d also lose the entire rest of your bargaining power. Schneider for Mario and Klingberg is…… Read more »
I don’t take this personally.
The rebuild would be over. Fully over.
The Sharks would absolutely be a contender with that roster!!
I don’t think they would be hard enough to play against so I wouldn’t consider that roster a real contender.
It would be a small roster after the trade. Seems like that’s where the team is headed anyway. Schneider is big, but Fox and Panarin aren’t. Of course, Eklund isn’t big, Ferraro isn’t. Klingberg is a bit bigger, he’s just not that good. A blue line of Orlov and Fox with bigger guys like Desharnnais, Dickinson, Iorio and Schneider makes the d-group big enough. But the forward group, not likely to get big. The forward group is going to be smaller. Trading Eklund for a bigger forward is an alternative, though Panarin is so talented and those guys don’t come… Read more »
Absolutely not.
both the rangers and adam fox would each say no to this. fox has a no movement clause and specifically worked to get to the rangers when he was younger. rangers probably want 2 first rounders value for panarin, something akin to a quinn hughes package for fox, and and probably a 1st first schneider, and other than eklund for panarin the values just aren’t there, especially since klingberg pretty much has no trade value and mario is probably worth a 2nd or 2 as the sharks i’d do this, you get a pretty good #1 dman, a guy who… Read more »
No. While it might bolster playoff chances it also plays into something I believe you’ve cautioned against: exiting a rebuild too quickly because you believe you have a cup contending team if you just add a few other players, when you really don’t quite have it. What happens when/if SJ follows SEA quick rise to playoffs one year and falls out the next? SJ gives up 3 first round picks in the process. Aside from that, is it worth bringing in a guy who was accused of sexual assault, and made it go away by buying his way out of… Read more »
Yeah those are some good points.
I agree with most here but in regards to the worry of pushing too quickly (see Sea and Philly) ….Celebrini changes all of those equations. No team has anything like this talent and with Misa/wennberg this forward unit will be one of the strongest lines for several years. Edmonton and Colorado show you can get good in a hurry with elite talent at center
Ouch. Even if Panarin wasn’t included, hell no!
fwiw, I tired to bring a deal that’d satisfy those who do not want to waste any of Macklin’s years. Outside of Vegas, Tampa and Colorado — with this Sharks line-up — there’s no series I’d think the Sharks were highly unlikely to win this season. They’ve been competitive playing just about everyone else. It adds 2 HOF level players and (hopefully) and a young middle 6 d-man. It solves the Sharks single biggest issue, a top-tier RHD, for the next 6-8 years. The PP improves enormously, too. Probably get about 10 man-years of HoF-level play between Panarin and Fox.… Read more »
Sharks line-up
forwards:
Macklin, Panarin, Smith
Wennberg, Graf, Toffoli
Misa, Chernyshov, Sherwood
Other forwrds: Regenda, Kurashev, Gaudette, Goodrow, Reaves, Dellandrea, Skinner, Ostapchuk.
D-group
right side
Fox, Schneider, Iorio, Desharnais, Liljegren
left side
Orlov, Dickinson, Mukh.
Other possible d-men: Allan, Cagnoni, Pohlkamp (RHD who plays the left side)
That’s a really good roster.
Other than BreadBoy who do you think is HOF level? Please tell me you don’t mean Fox…? He’s not going in the hall.
I think it’s a well thought out plan, an offensive defense like fox plus a legit top line forward would push us to be better for sure
I think the deal would waste his years when this team has to do a “retool” when he is in his 20’s.
Results so far, 7 say no, 1 says yes.
Fortunatly non of us have any actual say in this.
GO SHARKS!
Agreed. I’ve said that a few times. And I include myself in that.
Absolutely not. I’ve already stated I’m not a Fox fan.
I think the GM needs to target top defensive talent, if possible. The 5 players you mention with the exception of Chernyshov, are big question marks as to what they really add. Giving up 3 1sts is not something that I would do for a 34yo winger who might be on the downside of his career.
Adam Fox is a top-10 d-man in the middle of his career. Schneider is a big, potential top 4 RHD, age 24 with nearly 300 NHL games so far. Its a lot more than Panarin
I’ve studied this a bit more and I think you may be right. Fox is hurt right now, but I didn’t realize how much better he is than anyone we’ve got and could be the smart target. I’ll switch to your side.
I’ll take that deal. You want to compete now not much of a better deal out there
You seem to have gone counter to your philosophy, for that I applaud you. It is a very much figure out what going to do 3-4 yrs down the line, but I am a no. I think Fox (27yr old, .85 ppg, 460 games) needs a change of scenery to get back to what put him on the Map. Schneider is interesting, maybe same thing, environment is just bad for him. No on the Bread-man because of Age, the off ice questionable, on ice be good add, but keep the building chemistry. So, pass on Panarin, not worth the risk.… Read more »
I think it would be a classic case of rushing the rebuild. First, I don’t think either Panarin or Fox really fit the identity that Grier and Warsofsky are building toward. Panrin is 6’0″ and Fox is 5’11”, and neither are one of those vicious little guys that play bigger than their actual size. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for a Stanley Cup. If you are shipping out three first round picks, you better win a cup or better yet multiple. Second, they would eat up so much cap space between them, the Sharks would have a hard time… Read more »
I’m a hard no… I’d like to land Schneider, but no on Fox and Panarin. Fox has already forced his way out of 2 other teams, I’d rather not depend on him. And I hate the idea of giving up 3 firsts.
Besides Schneider, I’d be curious if the Sharks could pry Mrtka from Buffalo.
I think Fox may be worth 3 1sts. The chances of finding a rhtop blueliner ready to go in the draft is slim.
One nice thing about the Panarin talk (assuming the reporting is accurate) – it’s confirmation that there are high end players who are now willing to waive NMC/NTC in order to come play in SJ…
Yeah man, I think San Jose is a destination now that Macklin is here. I think the Sharks can pass on sexual predators like Panarin, and still end up with some high end talent from elsewhere
I think players putting Sharks on their NTC list was never personal. It’s a fact this team was a basement dweller for many years and was worst in the league for two years running. Now that has changed, obviously attitudes have changed. No mystery there. Also, to be honest, I think the vibes are so bad in New York that Panarin would want out to any team that’s likely to make the playoffs. On a side note, I think media and fans really misinterpreted Goodrow’s displeasure at the Rangers waiver thing. I don’t think he was mad that the Sharks… Read more »
No disrespect to the star talents and high end skill of “The Bread Man” but he does not belong on this sharks team for a number of reasons.
Celebrini goes head to head against McJesus!
I don’t want Hyman to do any damage against us but I think it’s really cool that he writes children’s books as a side hobby/hustle 👌
I know we are “heavy underdogs” tonight but puck it let’s win this one three!!!???
Why the puck not!!!??!
“he writes children’s books as a side hobby/hustle 👌”
I am suspicious of anybody that wholesome. Anybody that wholesome is probably a secret cannibal.
Sheng, the Jason Gregor Show did you dirty. They listed you as the SJS beat writer for The Athletic! Need to get them to issue a mea culpa.
JG don’t be slagging our Shenger!