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Macklin Celebrini is set to begin his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks and is the player of the future for the franchise, but what is his ceiling for his rookie season?
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Celebrini won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s best hockey player at 17. His 32 goals were second in the nation, leading Boston University to a Frozen Four appearance. Now turning pro, Celebrini has lofty expectations, and there isn’t a prospect more mentally equipped to handle it.
The No. 1 pick forced his family to change plans after the NHL Draft so that he could get extra ice time before Development Camp.
The San Jose Sharks have taken a step forward in their rebuild, but expectations remain high for Celebrini. Last season’s Calder Trophy winner, Connor Bedard, scored 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games.
Celebrini could match those numbers, but maybe not in 68 games. Celebrini’s offensive output at BU was sound, but his calling card is his two-way game. While Celebirni is a budding superstar, his offensive impact might not be felt like that of Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews.
He will create offense and could become a 100-point scorer in the NHL one day, but given his 6’0, 196 lbs frame, there will be a significant adjustment to the pro game. He showed off his elite skills at Development Camp, but once he goes against other NHL pros, he likely won’t have as much space to pull nasty dangles.
His broad body frame will allow him to protect the puck and be successful in the NHL. Sharks director of player development Todd Marchant spoke highly of the Vancouver native’s mental profile.
“The first thing that I noticed is that he wants to be first in everything. The first day, after breakfast, they go outside for a little activation warmup, [and] he’s leading his group. Right away, he’s first in line,” Marchant said after the prospect scrimmage. “Then you see him on the ice; he’s first in the drills. Those things you don’t teach. I can’t go to a player and say, hey, you should be first in line. They just instinctively have that.”
These intangibles will allow Celebrini to succeed in his rookie season. Should he stay healthy, THN predicts Celebrini will score 24 goals and 40 assists. Celebrini will likely have Tyler Toffoli on his wing to start the season, providing the centerman with a bonified NHL goalscorer.
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The Sharks have a better forward core than last season, but the goalscoring isn’t deep. Celebrini will be relied upon to drive offense and provide top-tier two-way play as a No. 1 center.
Expectations are high, but the Sharks can’t expect superstar scoring during his rookie season. The team is still growing, which provides Celebrini and other Sharks prospects some time to grow as professionals.
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