Macklin Celebrini is box office-level good for the San Jose Sharks.
At 18 years old, Celebrini is already dominating puck play. His zone entries are among the league’s top, and his puck battle wins are well-documented.
His skating has flown entirely under the radar. Celebrini is an above-average skater, and his ability to come off the boards is special.
Celebrini isn’t the fastest player on the ice, but his acceleration is toward the league’s top. According to NHL EDGE, Celebrini has four 22+ MPH bursts so far this season. The league average is 1.4 amongst forwards and defensemen, putting the Sharks rookie in the 88th percentile.
Even after missing 12 games, Celebrini isn’t out of the rookie scoring race. With 14 points in 15 games, the center isn’t far behind Philadelphia Flyers phenom Matvei Michkov.
Celebrini is making his teammates better. Since being put on a line with Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund, the trio has done nothing but score. At five-on-five, the trio has played 59:56 of ice time.
At five-on-five, that line has six goals for and just two against. Like the rest of the roster, the unit is still learning its defensive structure, but it has seven high-danger chances compared to six against.
Celebrini is lifting his teammates. In 137 minutes of ice time without Celebrini, Zetterlund and Eklund have combined for eight goals and four against. Their offensive output has significantly jumped once Celebrini was put with them.
Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky saw the same thing and has since put Mikael Granlund and Will Smith on another line to keep the new Sharks’ top line intact.
Remember, Celebrini is just 18. He will only get faster, stronger, and more comfortable in the NHL. He has all the tools to be the next Sharks face of the franchise.