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Celebrini Puts Himself in Some Great NHL Company

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Dec 17, 2025 3:37 PM ET

How good is Macklin Celebrini? With his four-point night against the Calgary Flames, Celebrini tied names that don’t belong in the same sentence by accident. As reported by NHL.com, Celebrini recorded his third career four-point game to tie Ilya Kovalchuk, Pierre Turgeon, Phil Housley, Ron Francis, and Ted Kennedy for the fifth-most by a teenager in NHL history. The only players with more are Wayne Gretzky (14 games), Sidney Crosby (eight games), Dale Hawerchuk (seven games) and Jimmy Carson (four games).

Celebrini made himself just the third teenager in league history to put up 50 points in 34 games or fewer. Crosby did it faster. Gretzky did it twice. That’s it. Everyone else, no matter how gifted, needed more runway.

But Celebrini Is More than Just an Offensive Player

What makes Celebrini different isn’t just the scoring. It’s how he shows up. Watch his shifts. He’s not hunting points; he’s driving play. Last night against Calgary, he put up two assists early, then when the game needed a finisher, he took it. He plays like the game is already slowed down for him.

Check the league scoring this morning, and there he is, sitting in the top three — ahead of Leon Draisaitl. In 34 games, he’s potted 18 goals, added 33 assists, for 51 points. That’s not just a hot streak. That’s a player settling in.

How good is he? He’s living in the same statistical neighbourhood far earlier than expected. He’s doing it on fewer minutes, fewer power-play touches, and without an elite roster built to prop him up. And he’s not cheating the game to get there. He put up 100 shots, hits, and even penalty minutes. That’s called engaged. He plays the game and doesn’t float.

Celebrini Is Making Comparisons with Generational Players a Bit Uncomfortable

Celebrini plays like this is who he is. He’s developing an identity. He’s already good enough that comparisons with the best of the best are uncomfortable. And, he’s good enough that teams are starting to game-plan around a teenager. Good enough that “future star” already feels a little too little and a bit too late.

The league has seen prodigies before. But this one? This one looks like he’s here to stay — and to lead.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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