The 2025 season is just over a month old, and the young stars are off to a hot start to the season. First, Macklin Celebrini scored a hat-trick last night, which included the game-winner in overtime to beat the Mammoth 3-2 is second in the league in points. Celebrini is second in goals in the league with 13 and tied for eighth in assists. Next up is Connor Bedard, who is fourth in the league in points with 29. He is tied with Celebrini for second in goals with 13, and he is tied for 13th in assists with 16. Last is Leo Carlsson, who has fallen off a little bit but is eighth in the league in points with 26. He is 15th in the league in goals with 11 and tied for 17th in assists with 15.

The youth movement also has its teams exceeding expectations to start the season. Bedard has the Blackhawks are fourth in the Central Division with a 10-5-4 record with 24 points, sitting tied with the Jets for third place entering play tonight; they hold the top wild card spot as well. Celebrini, with last night’s win, has the Sharks at 9-8-3 with 21 points, sitting two points back of the final playoff spot. Finally, Carlsson and his Ducks team snapped a three-game skid last night and now sit back atop the Pacific Division at 12-6-1 with a one-point lead over Vegas and Los Angeles.

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Macklin Celebrini

The Sharks drafted Celebrini first overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. In 90 career games, he has 93 points on 38 goals and 55 assists. He is a -27 with 11 power-play goals and six game-winning goals. He finished third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting last season. Last night was Celebrini’s third career hat trick. Celebrini this season is on pace to surpass last season’s goal total of 25 and is also likely to set a career high in points. He has made the Sharks a team to watch, still missing pieces to make a run if they do sneak into the playoffs, but they have the superstar they need.

Connor Bedard

The Blackhawks drafted Bedard first overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In 169 career games, he has 157 points on 58 goals and 99 assists. He is a -70 with 19 power-play goals and nine game-winning goals. Bedard won the Calder Memorial Trophy back in 2023-24. He recorded his first career hat-trick this season back on October 28th; he now has two this season. Bedard is currently on a 1.5 points per game pace; if that continued, he would double his highest point total in his young career. The Blackhawks may have figured things out and can be a team to watch for one of those Wild Card spots this season.

Leo Carlsson

The Ducks drafted Carlsson second overall after Bedard in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In 150 games over three seasons, he has 100 points on 43 goals and 57 assists. He is a plus-two with ten power-play goals, three shorthanded goals, and eight game-winning goals. Carlsson finished 14th in the Calder Memorial Trophy in his rookie season. Carlsson recorded his first career hat trick in his rookie season, which is his lone hat trick to this point. He, like the other three, is well on pace to set a career-high in points. The Ducks holding onto the top spot in the Pacific Division doesn’t seem likely, but making the playoffs does. With the veterans around Carlsson and the coaching of Joel Quenneville, the Ducks may have turned things around and seem poised to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

Next Game for the Youngsters

Carlsson is the first one in action as he and the Ducks face the Boston Bruins tonight. All three are in action tomorrow night as Bedard and the Blackhawks will face the Seattle Kraken. Celebrini and the Sharks face the Los Angeles Kings. Carlsson and the Ducks will face the Ottawa Senators. Carlson has faced Celebrini and Bedard this season. Against Bedard, he didn’t record a point, while Bedard had an assist. Against Celebrini, he had a goal and two assists, while Celebrini had three assists. The next matchups against each other will be Carlsson vs. Bedard on November 30th. Carlsson vs. Celebrini will be next on December 29th. The first Celebrini and Bedard matchup will be on February 2nd. These three do special things any night they step on the ice, and they will be must-watch, not just the rest of this season but the rest of their young careers.

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