The San Jose Sharks fell to the Dallas Stars 5-3 on Thursday at the SAP Center, but that did not stop Macklin Celebrini from setting another record. Now, Celebrini is earning incredible praise from Wyatt Johnston after the performance, according to Sharks insider William Espy.
“Wyatt Johnston on Macklin Celebrini: He’s proved to be one of the best players in the world already, and just a super smart player. He can score, he can make plays, and just has a great blend of that. So, I think that makes it hard to defend against, and obviously, he’s having an amazing year,” Espy wrote on X.
Celebrini is already drawing comparisons to Sidney Crosby and has carried the Sharks on his back, leading the Sharks with 18 goals and 53 total points. He is already on pace for 124 points, which would shatter the Sharks’ franchise record of 114 points, set by Joe Thornton during the 2006-07 season.
The Sharks have also improved remarkably this season, sitting at 17-15-3, currently holding onto the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. If they can maintain this pace, they will finish with 82 points. Celebrini continues to shatter records, and he is a significant reason for their success.
Although the Sharks could not rally, it was Celebrini who gave them a chance against the Stars. With the score 3-1 Dallas, Celebrini set up Collin Graf for his seventh goal of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Later, when it was 4-2, Celebrini again set things up and had the secondary assist on another Graf goal. Ultimately, the Sharks could not tie it, despite Celebrini’s best efforts, as Jamie Benn sealed it with an empty-net goal.
Celebrini and the Sharks have shown that they might be ready to take that next step. As their young players mature, Celebrini will be at the very head of the table when they become contenders again. The Sharks’ next game is Saturday against the Seattle Kraken at the SAP Center.