First Impressions: Macklin Celebrini
The new face of San Jose's franchise
Despite only suiting up for nine of his team’s 21 contests so far, Macklin Celebrini has allowed the San Jose Sharks to breathe a sigh of relief. The 2024 first overall pick looks every bit like the real deal.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of the 18-year-old’s game.
Swift skater whose short-area burst is more impressive than his long speed (77th percentile). Celebrini’s sudden get-off helps him create early separation, access middle ice, gain controlled entries, apply 200-foot puck pressure, etc. This pace also differentiates him from highly touted forward prospects Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov. Here’s an example of how he has just enough juice to pull away from backcheckers:
The 6’0”, 190-pound pivot appears slight at times, but he possesses a nice feel for leverage down low. On the flip side, he does occasionally show defenders too much of the puck. Once he adds some mass and learns how to use his body (e.g. free arm, inside leg) to slow-play opponents, he could become a handful in protection.
His favorite way to manufacture space at the moment is with a hard forehand cut. Sell a tight backhand handle, then explode in the opposite direction. A slashing rather than artful style of 1-on-1 elusiveness. He also does well to tweak his puck placement depending on the situation (more east-west in stride to maintain his pace, more verticality when he’s stationary to prioritize possession). As you might expect, this is money high in the OZ, where he often frees himself up to rumble downhill:
Teams will eventually develop a book on his tendencies, so his puck-carrying could use an extra dash of variety to keep them guessing. Balance out that forehand-backhand bias. If defenders don’t know whether you intend to attack inside or out, they’re less likely to gap up.
As far as his offense goes, he’s a shoot-first weapon. He leads the Sharks in all-situations attempts and will gladly pull the trigger from distance. Although he hasn’t received world-class service (it’s improving alongside fellow rookie Will Smith), he hasn’t quite flashed a world-class release either. Much like pre-draft comparable Jonathan Toews, he may amass the bulk of his goals around home plate. Nothing wrong with that.
Should his long-range marksmanship fail to materialize, he can fall back on his sharp OZ spacing. He works himself open with ease. His darting movement catches D-men by surprise in the slot, while he can also fade from traffic and settle into quiet areas. Smart trailing routes in transition. When you consistently knock on the door, you don’t need a rocket to break through:
Another plus is his adaptability. On the PP in particular, if the strong-side defenseman is dialed into his one-timer, he’ll catch and shuffle inside for a delayed release. Difficult to square up to:
In addition to his scoring potential, he sets up teammates via deception rather than feathery touch. His sauce is coming along, but no-look dishes along the ice are his bread and butter. His exaggerated body language coaxes defenders away from his target, and his blind spinning passes reflect an eyes-on-the-back-of-his-head radar. Does well to hook his blade and alter his release point without sacrificing accuracy. More of a quick-strike distributor than a floor general:
Though we shouldn’t gloss over his troubles at the dot (44.2%), Sidney Crosby won just 45.5% of his draws in Year 1. Celebrini is 18 years old and has plenty of time to shore up this weakness. In the interim, the Sharks must feed him ample reps.
Tenacious backchecker whose urgency complements his wheels. He rarely stops moving his feet or tweaking his angle of attack to dispossess the opposition. Even when he fails to come away with the biscuit, he commands the puck-carrier’s attention and thus makes his teammates’ lives much easier in transition. San Jose’s blue line is going to love playing with him.
Polished defensive game for a rookie. Doesn’t over-pursue to bad ice. Diligent about maintaining the inside track. Thanks to his anticipation and positional discipline, he’s broken up a whole mess of high-danger passes. Offers his D-men consistent puck support below the goal line too. Since the Sharks are the single worst play-driving team in hockey (42.9 xGF%), his current impact revolves around point-of-attack disruption instead of total suppression:
Similarly to the vast majority of teenagers, Celebrini sometimes plays a touch too fast. Once he realizes that he has more time and space than he believes, he’ll hone his NZ decision-making and OZ puck protection game.
Overall, he isn’t transcendent in any specific area. He’s simply really good in many of them. With his skating, puck skills and defensive conscience, the Sharks may have a three-zone stud at 1C on their hands. A more dynamic, more creative and slightly less responsible Toews seems like a fair comp.
More production (5 points in 9 games) would be nice, but Celebrini is saddled with a “gud pro” winger on a club that is nowhere close to competitive right now. Promise and process are what matter. The tools are there. Moreover, his mature all-around habits suggest that even his floor would represent a stellar building block for San Jose’s future.
If he reaches his ceiling, the Sharks can start thinking about the playoffs again.
I'm been waiting for this one. Great analysis as always. I see him as a rich man's Matty Beniers.