Acting San Jose Sharks head coach for the Rookie Faceoff, John McCarthy, said he isn't sure if Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini will play again at the tournament.
Acting San Jose Sharks head coach for the Rookie Faceoff, John McCarthy, said he isn't sure if Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini will play again at the tournament.
"They're meeting on it right now," McCarthy said after today's team's optional practice. "The higher-ups [are the ones who decide]. I don't make these lineups."
The Sharks aren't focusing on just Smith and Celebrini. According to McCarthy, no lineup decision has been made about any Sharks prospect.
"As far as I know, everybody's on the table, and everybody's off the table, so I don't know. I actually don't know who's in tomorrow," McCarthy explained. "They usually meet after the game and discuss who they want to play."
McCarthy mentioned that part of the lineup decision bar on injury prevention while still getting them adequate playing time for game-ready performances.
Celebrini and Smith are the Sharks' future top two centermen; if either gets hurt in a prospect game, the team's development plan could suffer.
The Sharks are scheduled to skate tomorrow at 9:45 a.m., and McCarthy will reveal the verdict for the two prized prospects following the skate.
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