You don’t need to look very far to understand how the San Jose Sharks have improved so much this season. Top-line center Macklin Celebrini is practically their entire offense, turning them from the bottom-feeders of previous seasons to a team that remains competitive in nearly every game they play. The Sharks are turning games that would have been losses in the past into wins, largely thanks to him. As a result, Celebrini deserves not only all the attention and acclaim he’s already received, but something even greater: serious consideration for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. An examination of the circumstances surrounding his case proves his argument is just about as strong as anyone else’s in the league.
Celebrini Dragging Sharks to Relevance
Celebrini’s impact on the Sharks’ offense has already been documented, but it can’t be overstated. Despite having the NHL’s second-worst Corsi percentage and worst Fenwick percentage, they are 16th in the league in goals per game, and it’s abundantly clear who’s most responsible for that.
Celebrini’s 72 points are more than twice that of the next-highest Shark, and his plus/minus also more than doubles his teammates. Furthermore, the Sharks as a team have 150 goals, meaning Celebrini has been involved in 48% of all their goals this season while playing in roughly a third of the possible minutes.
As his 48 assists suggest, Celebrini’s playmaking ability has elevated his teammates as well. Despite his recent injury, Will Smith took a huge sophomore leap as Celebrini’s linemate for much of the season. Collin Graf, Igor Chernyshov and Pavol Regenda are all making major impacts in San Jose this season, and it’s not a coincidence that all three have played alongside Celebrini at various points.
The Sharks are going as Celebrini goes right now — he’s had 11 pointless games this season, and they’ve earned just four points from those contests, with Monday’s matchup with the Florida Panthers providing the only win. In a lot of ways, he’s their entire team right now, and that deserves to be acknowledged and rewarded.
Other Stars Have Won Hart Trophy In Second Season
While giving the Hart to a 19-year-old in his second NHL season may feel extreme, it’s not without precedent. Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid both won the award in their sophomore campaigns. Crosby was just 19 in his case and, while his greatness is unique, Wayne Gretzky was also 19 the year he won his first of eight consecutive trophies.
Related: Ranking Every Hart Trophy Winner Since 2005
Celebrini’s performance this season is comparable to those players in a lot of ways. In their second seasons, Crosby registered 120 points while McDavid posted 100. As a 19-year-old, Gretzky had 137. Celebrini is currently on pace for 123. The one knock on him is unlike those other players, he probably won’t lead the league in points, but in terms of pure production, he’s right on pace with the three players who arguably had the three greatest starts to a career ever.
Both Crosby and McDavid were the centerpieces of rebuilds which took huge leaps in their Hart seasons, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers, respectively, going from last place in their conferences to a playoff spot. You may recognize that as the exact thing Celebrini is trying to do for the Sharks this season, and so far, he’s succeeded.
The outcome of the Sharks’ season may depend on whether or not Celebrini can keep up his current pace. If he does, he’ll wind up with a campaign very similar to some of the greatest early-career seasons ever.
It’s Worth Examining Hart Trophy’s Language
The NHL defines the Hart Trophy as an award for “the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” This definition might provide Celebrini’s strongest case.
Celebrini is such an important part of San Jose’s offense that it’s hard to argue anyone is more valuable to their team. McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are seen as the current favorites and tied for the NHL lead in points, and MacKinnon deserves particular credit as the best player on the most dominant team in the league. But they each have a teammate who joins them in the top 10 in that category and an all-around stronger team. Celebrini doesn’t even have a teammate in the top 100, along with a weak defense and a roster that can’t match up to McDavid’s or MacKinnon’s on paper.
If the Sharks make the playoffs, Celebrini will have an argument for being the single player most responsible for his team’s postseason appearance. A Hart Trophy win this season would be the culmination of all the evidence that he might be one of the greatest young players in NHL history.
