Celebrini was brilliant last night for the Sharks against the Flames, with 4 points in a 6-3 victory that extended the Sharks' 3-game winning streak. As we near the holidays, the Sharks are currently sitting in the final wild card spot, and only find themselves 5 points behind the Ducks for the top spot in the Pacific. An outcome even the most optimistic Sharks fans would not have thought possible before the season.
The biggest reason for this is undoubtedly Macklin Celebrini. The 19-year-old superstar has found another gear in his game and has established himself as one of the game's best players. The Sharks have scored 102 goals in 34 games this season, and in that same time, Celebrini has 51 points. Exactly half of the teams' scoring production involves the young star.
This is the highest mark of any player this season and perfectly illustrates just how vital Celebrini has been to the Sharks' success. It's not crazy to think that if the Sharks make the playoffs and Celebrini keeps up his current scoring pace, he could be a legitimate threat to take home the Hart trophy by season's end, joining Gretzky and Crosby as the only teenagers to do so.
It’s stiff competition for the Hart this year, Mackinnon and McDavid are having unreal seasons, and Mackinnon in particular is having an absurd season on a dominant Avalanche that has just two regulation losses. But it's fair to say that the Avs would still be first even if Mackinnon were not playing at that level, considering the play of Makar.
If the Sharks did not have Celebrini right now, they would likely be fighting for the first overall pick once again. Still, with him, the team has progressed way faster than fans expected, and it's not crazy to think the Sharks could become more aggressive in the trade market as we approach the 2nd half of the season. Likely not targeting rentals but specific players who could be a part of the core in the future.