It’s hard not to try drawing comparisons between Macklin Celebrini and Connor McDavid. Now, there are even more numbers to prove it.
The San Jose Sharks’ second-year center is making his mark on the NHL just as the Edmonton Oilers’ captain did when he first entered the league. In his pursuit to essentially dominate the sport, Celebrini has tallied 158 points (60 goals, 98 assists) through the first 137 games of his career.
As a social media post by DraftKings Sportsbook points out, it’s an almost-identical marker to one McDavid hit through the first 138 games of his career.
The future is BRIGHT 😎
Seeing as McDavid is a three-time Hart Trophy winner, it appears Celebrini is on the right track.
What Macklin Celebrini Has Said About Connor McDavid
Celebrini had plenty of time to soak up inspiration from McDavid when the two were teammates on Team Canada at the Winter Olympics last month.
The duo didn’t just play on a line together, but dominated the competition. McDavid led all skaters with 13 points, while Celebrini led with five goals and 28 shots on goal, per NHL.com.
Plus, they connected for some pretty sweet goals.
Canada finished second in the competition to Team USA. But it wasn’t lost on Celebrini how invaluable his time spent on a team with McDavid truly was.
“[I learned] where the bar is at,” Celebrini said after the Olympics, via Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News. “Those guys [McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon] play with such pace, and they think the game so fast. The level that they play at, the practice that they play at. Probably the fastest practices I’ve ever been a part of. Just being around them, practicing with them, playing with them. It’s on a different level.”
How Has Macklin Celebrini Measured Up This Season?
When it comes to regular-season games, elder statesman McDavid has had the upper hand in the head-to-head matchup.
The Sharks and Oilers have met three of their four scheduled times this season, with the final regular-season faceoff set for April 8. Edmonton has won two of the previous three meetings, capturing both victories on home ice. The Sharks edged the Oilers in San Jose 5-4 on Feb. 28, with Celebrini scoring the game-opening goal.
The youngster has two points (one goal, one assist) in those three games against the Oilers this season. McDavid has tallied six points (one goal, five assists) over the same span.
What’s Next for the Oilers & Sharks
The regular season is winding down, which means time is running out to secure a playoff spot.
That means it’s crunch time for Celebrini and the Sharks, who are two points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Twelve of their last 15 games are against teams from the West, so tilts against the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues — who are also jockeying for a wild-card spot — will carry a lot of weight.
McDavid and the Oilers are hanging on to second place in the Pacific Division, and no doubt have a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final on their minds. Edmonton hasn’t lifted Lord Stanley’s Mug since 1990, and they have fallen short in the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row to the Florida Panthers.
Sharks’ Celebrini Shares This Milestone with Connor McDavid