Macklin Celebrini has been one of the best rookies in the NHL. Through his 27-game NHL career, Celebrini has 27 points and is cementing himself as a star for the next decade or more. San Jose's cornerstone has shown up in the big leagues in a big way, and he's not enjoying the current circumstances around the organization. He's upset with the losing the team is doing, but there is something the Canadian center could win this year.
The Calder Trophy is awarded to the best rookie in the NHL, and the San Jose Sharks believe that Celebrini deserves this title. Celebrini is the talk of the league as he is becoming a "must-watch" among lovers of the sport. The exciting young center has willed pucks into the net for the Sharks multiple times during this season, and he'll be looking to continue that heading into the new year as the Sharks look to get back to a better time.
Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers is the competition for Celebrini. The Russian winger has been phenomenal in the City of Brotherly Love. Michkov has 29 points in 35 games this season for the Flyers, but he's been healthy scratched a couple of times as John Tortorella tried to send a message to the Russian winger. It's still something the Flyers coach is trying to do, but it's damaging Michkov's Calder chances.
Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens is another player in the conversation. The defenseman has struggled defensively, but the points he's produced in one of the largest hockey markets in the world will give him votes, no matter how unjustified. He will be someone you must remember when thinking about the Calder race because he'll mess up a lot of ballots of the Canadian voters who cannot be unbiased.
All this to say that the Calder Trophy should end up in the hands of the 2024 first-overall pick, but that isn't a certainty. This budding competition between Michkov and Celebrini for the trophy will be fun to watch for the remainder of the year. The last time a young Canadian center and a Russian winger a year older had a rivalry, they became two of the most dominant players in the league for almost two decades. Hopefully, that's the same here.