In Macklin Celebrini’s first 100 NHL games, he rose from No. 1 draft pick to stardom, all before his 20th birthday. How high might his elevator go in his next 100 games?

The San Jose Sharks, after an impressive 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, already have 14 wins and sit just outside the Western Conference playoff picture. Celebrini, who had a three-point night against Carolina, has led their rise back to relevancy. Celebrini has 15 goals and 28 assists (tied with Connor McDavid for the league lead entering Monday) for 43 points, second only to Nathan MacKinnon. If the Sharks remain in the playoff picture and Celebrini keeps up this scoring pace, he will become a part of the Hart Trophy conversation.

That’s right, the Hart. If Celebrini drags an underdog Sharks club, which is only supposed to be taking the first step out of an awful but necessary rebuild, into the postseason, he will get some consideration for the league MVP.

That’s a huge “if,” of course, and while ESPN and Sportsnet broadcaster Ray Ferraro believes it might be a bridge too far this season, he sees a bright long-term future for Celebrini.

“Yeah, I can see him as an MVP candidate,” Ferraro said. “He has that type of swagger to this game. That ability to pull his team along.”

Celebrini is on a pace for 41 goals and 77 assists on a San Jose team that is, per Natural Stat Trick, 31st out of 32 teams in expected goals, and last in expected goal percentage. It’s astounding that he is putting up nearly league-best numbers despite not having a great supporting cast, outside of rising running mate Will Smith. On Sunday in Raleigh, he set up Collin Graf for a goal just 33 seconds in, fed John Klingberg for a finish and wrapped up the win with an empty-net goal.

Those two primary assists were the 19th and 20th of Celebrini’s season, most among all NHL players. He’s already topped last year’s total of primaries. With 106 points in his first 100 games, Celebrini trails Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Kirill Kaprizov and McDavid (among active players) for the most at that game total.

Losing should never be celebrated, but for the Sharks, enduring that 19-win tire fire of a 2023-24 season — which allowed them to draft Celebrini — now feels worth it, does it not?

Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 pick last year, has the potential to chew a bunch of minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks and perhaps be a bedrock for their blue line as they return to glory. No. 3 pick Beckett Sennecke, through force of will, already is a dangerous top-six staple for the division-leading Anaheim Ducks and is now a part of the Calder Trophy conversation. No. 5 pick Ivan Demidov is a factor for the promising Montreal Canadiens. All have the look of players with long, productive careers ahead. Potential stars.

The Sharks would have done well with any of them had they not won the draft lottery. But Celebrini is just different. He’s exactly what they needed to lead the charge into a new era and allow fans to finally stop pining for the days of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. Celebrini is a superstar who should be at an MVP level for years to come, if he isn’t already there.

What fascinates Ferraro about Celebrini’s future is how he will handle inevitable setbacks and disappointments while staying focused on team goals, the same type of mentality that drives players such as Crosby and MacKinnon.

“‘What can I do to be better to help me and my team win?’ That’s what I think Mack has in his gut,” Ferraro said. “That’s the similarity I see. And that’s why when I think of Crosby, for 20 years the guy has been exemplary in every step of the way. I just don’t see that Mack will be different.

“Will he get the same number of points and all those sort of things? Who knows? Let me put it is this way, sometimes you get the No. 1 pick and the prize is not the prize. San Jose got the No 1 pick and the prize was A1. It couldn’t have been any better.”

What is possible over his next 100 games, given that Celebrini has already shredded the “sophomore slump” into tiny pieces? Second-year coach Ryan Warsofsky has smartly attached Smith to Celebrini’s hip, and their chemistry continues to cook. (Smith is on a not-too-shabby 33-goal, 77-point pace.) Imagine what might happen when rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson evolves into a primary role and starts moving the puck to them.

Celebrini has scuffled a bit in the faceoff circle after a strong start but he’s still at 47.8 percent overall, and that should continue to improve with more experience and greater strength. If there is anything to nitpick, it is his defensive metrics. Celebrini’s impressive 61.36 goals for percentage, alongside a 38.32 xGF%, indicates a player benefitting from some strong goaltending in five-on-five play. But it’s also impressive, considering his production as the focal point on a Sharks club that effectively only has 1 1/2 offensive lines.

“He already shoots the puck well,” Ferraro said. “He’s got a great offensive instinctual mind. He’ll always learn to check a little better. That comes with more games. You’ve got to remember, he goes into a game now — not only is he one of the youngest players in the game but he’s playing against the other team’s best players all the time. He’s not getting a weak matchup anywhere.”

Imagine what might be possible if the Sharks develop or add more players who can flip the ice, control the puck and drive. Imagine a power play that’s better than their currently 14th-ranked unit. Celebrini already is no slouch there, as his 15 power-play points are tied for sixth with Montreal’s Nick Suzuki.

To be fair, could there be some regression before he hits his 200th game — likely just past the midpoint of the 2026-27 season? It’s always possible. Maybe he won’t continue to shoot 18.5 percent, and maybe his success rate becomes closer to the 10.6 percent of his rookie season — during which he still had 25 goals and finished third in the Calder race. But this season, he’s on a pace for 221 shots on goal and 431 shot attempts, which are both slightly down from 2024-25.

If those numbers bump up to levels near those of MacKinnon or McDavid (at least when No. 97 shot the puck a ton in 2021-22 and 2022-23), where could Celebrini’s numbers land? He’s more in line with his idol Crosby in terms of shots and attempts, but what if he decided to be a goal scorer like No. 87 during his 51-goal age-22 season — after he claimed his first Hart and had three 100-point seasons.

By that age, Celebrini would have played in almost 400 NHL games. At the rate Celebrini is going, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll have some hardware by then. Every one of his next 100 games will be worth watching to see what floor his elevator lands on.

“I haven’t seen a young player that reminds me more of Sidney Crosby than Mack,” Ferraro said. “I just haven’t. They’re kind of built the same. They sort of play the same. They have a relentless engine to their game. They drag their team with them – like they have that type of personality. I think he’s a terrific kid to start with. He respects how hard the game is and you see that in the way that he works.

“You just see the mind is there. He’s got energy. He’s got fight. He’s got commitment. He’s got a little bit of edge to him. I’ll say it again: He’s the closest thing to Crosby (that) I’ve seen in a young player in style, stature and ability. I can’t remember someone else that fit that mold for me.”