PHILADELPHIA — Macklin Celebrini might not want to hear it, but he’s having a season for the ages.

The 19-year-old is on pace for 41 goals and 118 points. The last teenager to score that many points in a year was 19-year-old Sidney Crosby with 120 points in 2006-07.

Celebrini literally means everything to the Sharks. He has 43 points, meaning he’s been directly involved in 50.6 percent of the team’s 85 goals. Just in comparison, Nathan MacKinnon, who leads the NHL with 49 points, is credited for 42.6 percent of the league-leading Colorado Avalanche’s offense.

If Celebrini keeps this kind of involvement up, it will be literal history.

Macklin Celebrini has factored on an NHL-high 50.0% of team goals this season. Only 4 players in the modern era have been involved in more than 50.0% of team goals in a season:

Wayne Gretzky 3x
Mario Lemieux 2x
Connor McDavid 2x
Jaromir Jagr pic.twitter.com/dVPKLChBbg

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 4, 2025

But Celebrini is doing so much more than producing offense.

He’s second in the NHL with those 43 points, and according to Stathletes, he also is among the league leaders in a variety of two-way statistics.

“You see all the offensive production, how good he is there,” Alex Wennberg said. “You kind of forget how good of a job he does defensively as well.”

That’s why, in the opinion of this awards voter, if Celebrini can sustain his elite two-way play and drag the surprising Sharks into the playoffs, he would be a deserving Hart Trophy winner. As of Dec. 8, San Jose is tied for the last wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Simply put, is there any player more valuable to his team than Celebrini?

Most stats are from Stathletes and rankings are among NHL forwards in All Situations.

Turnovers Created

Celebrini has forced 67 turnovers this season, sixth among NHL forwards. Turnovers Created are the sum of steals and pass interceptions.

Puck Deflections

Related, Celebrini has 75 Puck Deflections this season, fourth in the league. These are deflected opposition passes, suggesting that Celebrini’s stick is very active, defensively, in all three zones.

Puck Battles

Celebrini has 58 Puck Battle Wins this season, best among NHL forwards.

This might be Celebrini’s most impressive micro-stat. He’s 19, taking the puck from his often much-older peers, as if he were the veteran.

“He’s not afraid. Doesn’t matter who it is. Ultra-competitiveness is probably the best word for that. He wants to win the puck like it’s life or death,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said, also noting that Celebrini added some size over the summer. “I know that’s a very drastic and dramatic comment, but the great players in every sport [do it]. Tom Brady wanted the ball in his hand. Steph Curry wants the ball in his hand [and is going] to do whatever he can to get it back. I think [that’s] what make great players great.”

“His competitiveness and his full compete is just different from the rest of us,” Wennberg admitted.

There’s a reason why, no less, than Brad Marchand called Celebrini “a dog” because of his compete.

Recoveries

Celebrini has 495 puck recoveries this season, fifth among NHL forwards. Recoveries are loose puck and shot recoveries.

That’s a testament to Celebrini’s quickness and ability to read where the puck is going.

Closer Carries

Celebrini has 511 Closer Carries, ninth in the league. Closer Carries are carries that bring the puck closer to the net.

Successful Zone Entries

Celebrini has 186 Successful Zone Entries, tied with Kirill Kaprizov for sixth in the NHL.

These puck-carrying stats mirror those of the most puck-dominant superstars in the league, your MacKinnon and Connor McDavids.

Penalties Drawn

Celebrini leads all forwards, per Evolving Hockey, with 19 Penalties Drawn and is tied for the lead with a +9 Penalty Differential.

Slot Passes

Celebrini has 71 Slot Passes and 21 Inner Slot Passes, both seventh in the league.

Assisted Chances

Related, Celebrini has 55 Assisted Chances, ninth among NHL forwards. Assisted Chances are passes that lead directly to scoring chances.

Total Chances

Celebrini has 113 Total Scoring Chances, eighth in the league. That’s a combination of shooting and assisted chances.

So shoot, pass, carry, battle, and defend, what can’t Celebrini do?

In baseball, the five-tool player is the ideal, someone who can hit for contact and power, and has speed, a strong arm, and a good glove.

A hockey comp might be a six-tool player who can skate, shoot, pass, stickhandle, is physical, and has hockey IQ at an elite level.

That already appears to be Celebrini, at just 19, in the best league in the world.

Granted, we’re just 30 games into the season, but MVP isn’t a stretch.

“He does everything in all three zones. He’s in on half our points. He plays hard in the D-zone. He plays big minutes. He plays against top lines. He’s a key part of the power play. He’s becoming a leader in the room,” Ryan Reaves said. “He’s doing everything that you want. He’s getting better every day. So I think he’s got a strong case.”

“He’s done a really good job of not letting all the outside noise affect his game, for the most part,” Warsofsky said. “He deserves to be in that conversation, but we got a long way to go.”

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