Macklin Celebrini has emerged as a key reason for the Sharks being one of the fastest-rising teams in the National Hockey League standings following a strong start to the campaign.
Fantasy & Market Impact
The Value Revealed in His Absence
Celebrini’s value to the Sharks was thrown into sharp relief when a lower-body injury kept him out of San Jose’s game against the Dallas Stars on Monday, NHL.com reported. Before the absence, he recorded five assists in the first two games, helping San Jose open the season at 2-1-0 with overtime victories against the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings.
On the ice, the Sharks managed just 13 shots on goal in a 5-0 shutout loss in Dallas. They rebounded by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime at Enterprise Center on Thursday once the lineup readjusted.
“We just couldn’t get any traction,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of the difficult loss to the Stars.
Celebrini Drives San Jose Sharks Toward Postseason Berth
Celebrini’s grip is the primary driver behind the Sharks establishing themselves as one of the fastest-rising teams in the League. San Jose finished the previous campaign with 86 points, marking a 34-point improvement from Celebrini’s rookie season of 2024–25, when he posted 63 points—25 goals and 38 assists—across 73 games. Though the Sharks missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by four points last year, expectations point toward a postseason berth this season provided Celebrini remains healthy.
Observers have quickly drawn comparisons between Celebrini’s trajectory and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ early years with Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh finished second-to-last with 58 points during Crosby’s rookie season in 2005–06 despite Crosby tallying 102 points in 81 games. The Penguins subsequently reached the postseason in Crosby’s second year, a campaign where he captured both the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy with 120 points, eventually reaching the Stanley Cup Final in his third year and winning the championship in his fourth.
While the Sharks missed the postseason in Celebrini’s sophomore year—sitting one step behind Crosby’s timeline—their turnaround last season signals a similarly steep upward arc.
| Player | Rookie Team Points | Sophomore Points / Finish | Team Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macklin Celebrini | 63 Points (73 GP) | 86 Team Points (Missed Playoffs) | +34 Points Year-Over-Year |
| Sidney Crosby | 102 Points (81 GP) | 120 Points (Made Playoffs / Hart Win) | Playoff Berth in Year 2 |
“Being on a team that was pretty poor when he got there and being able to turn that around; I don’t know if anyone’s ever going to be Sidney Crosby, but it was very Crosby-esque in my brain,” Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers said. “I mean, those guys are all excellent.”
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