What makes Macklin Celebrini’s NHL Draft season performance so special

San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith, Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier and Carolina’s Jackson Blake are among the top picks for the Hobey Baker this season. But with what Celebrini has done this year – not just as a 17-year-old freshman, but as a player, in general – he’s got as good of a case as anyone to win the coveted prize. If he does, he’ll become just the fourth freshman behind Fantilli, Jack Eichel and Paul Kariya to do it.

“What he’s showing at BU, he’s showing how complete of a player he is,” one scout said. “Dare I say, maybe more complete than Bedard.”

Don’t worry; we’ll get to compare the two players another day. They might be closer than many first believed. But when it comes to defensive play, Celebrini definitely has the edge there. He puts in the 200-foot commitment you’d see from more defensive forwards, but he’s got the scoring touch to be a 100-point player in the NHL one day.

On his own, Celebrini is special. He was Canada’s best player at the U-18 World Championship last month, scoring six goals and 15 points in just seven games en route to a bronze medal. That was three points shy of the record by a 16-year-old set by Alexander Ovechkin (2002) and Mikhail Grigorenko (2011). The craziest part? Celebrini did it with an injured shoulder, with off-season surgery taking him out of action to start the 2023-24 season.

Then, at the World Junior Championship this past winter, Celebrini had four goals and eight points in five games as Canada fell in the quarterfinals to Czechia. Had Canada gone the distance, Celebrini would be in the MVP conversation for just how important he was for his country as an underaged player.

Add in his tremendous season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel where he had 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games last year, there hasn’t been a time in Celebrini’s career where he hasn’t been one of the best players, regardless of age.

“His poise, maturity, his skillset – there are few prospects like him in hockey,” another scout said. “He’s been an elite talent for so long, and he doesn’t let it get to his head. He knows what he’s capable of, but he also knows how to get the most out of his linemates, too.”

Celebrini is NHL-ready. He’ll undoubtedly turn pro once he’s drafted, with San Jose and Chicago holding the best odds right now. If Boston University goes the distance, it’ll be because of Celebrini’s brilliance at both ends of the ice. He has eight instances of three points or more in a single game and 11 games with two points. Considering he has 10 single-point games and just five scoreless games, it’s more likely than not that he’s going to go off in Saint Paul, Minnesota, later this month.

But there’s no room for error – one loss, and they’re out. BU are the favorites to beat Denver in the semifinal, but they just lost to Boston College in the Hockey East title game. Celebrini doesn’t need any motivation to take over a game, but if anyone can get it done when the pressure’s on, it’s him.