The NHL unveiled its Hart Trophy nominations for league MVP today as the Edmonton Oilers‘ Connor McDavid, Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche‘s Nathan MacKinnon featured amongst the nominees.
There was a surprising omission from this list: Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini was amongst the premier performers in the NHL this past season as he amassed 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points in 82 games in what was a sensation breakout campaign for the 19-year old Canadian.
Macklin Celebrini Was Phenomenal for San Jose This Year
After an impressive rookie season in 24-25 that saw Celebrini record 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points in 70 games, expectations were high heading into his sophomore year. However, those expectations were measured as slumps for star players in year two are not uncommon in the NHL. Considering the fact the Sharks finished as a last place team in the previous season, it would have been reasonable for Celebrini to have some struggles in 25-26 on a rebuilding squad going through growing pains.
This did not happen as Celebrini stepped up his game to another level. The biggest reason why the Sharks saw a 34 point jump in the standings was the play of Celebrini up front. This performance earned him a spot on Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics, making him the youngest NHL representative ever for the nation. Celebrini will also be representing his country in the 2026 World Championships.
There is the argument Celebrini was snubbed with respects to the Hart Trophy discussion based on the way he delivered on the ice this year. Only the three chosen Hart candidates outproduced him points-wise. But, this is not an Art Ross race. The Hart by definition is supposed to go to the most valuable player to his team. It is hard to argue that anyone was more valuable to their group than Celebrini was for his Sharks team.
With that said, Calebrini has at least received consideration for the Ted Linday Award. That award goes to the most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association).
Celebrini Will Have Plenty of Chances to Win the Hart
While the omission may be disappointing for Celebrini, the silver lining for him is that he will have many more chances in the future to take home the award. He has a long career ahead of him on a promising Sharks team.
This will be an interesting offseason for Celebrini, as he is now eligible to receive a contract extension with San Jose. It will be curious to see whether he decides to sign that deal a year ahead of schedule based on the strong season he had or if he decides to wait until his entry level contract expires next summer.
Year three will be a big one for Celebrini as he looks to repeat the form he put on display this season. If he can do so, there is a good chance the Sharks can snatch a spot in the 2027 postseason
Macklin Celebrini Not Named as Hart Trophy Finalist