DALLAS — Will Smith could be back at center.
That’s where the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, drafted as a center, practiced Tuesday for the San Jose Sharks.
Here’s how the Sharks lined up today without superstar center Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini is considered daily with a lower body injury:
Marchment-Smith-Chernyshov
Stenberg-Wennberg-Sherwood
Graf-Misa-Toffoli
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Dellandrea
Nurse-Kesselring
Dickinson-Trouba
Orlov-Cagnoni
Smith wants his best friend Celebrini in the lineup most of all, but he’s happy to play his natural position again.
“I’m super excited,” Smith said. “I’ve been playing it my whole life, so I’m ready to go.”
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky has warned that the San Jose Sharks will not play until Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues. So we’ll see what the lines look like in practice on Wednesday.
But he liked what he saw Tuesday.
“I loved our practice,” Warsofsky said. “I love the rhythm.”
The San Jose Sharks practice in St. Louis on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT.
We’ll see if Smith is still at center and get another update from Celebrini. There is no doubt that Smith still hopes to be in the middle if Celebrini is out.
“As a wing, sometimes when you’re cutting, you’re behind the D,” Smith said. “I like having the puck, getting on the ice and seeing everyone in front of me.”
“He has some experience in this area,” Warsofsky said. “I think it will help him skate and get involved in the game in terms of skating, that’s something we’ve talked about.”
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