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Macklin Celebrini heaps praise on ‘best player in the league’ Connor McDavid

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 1:30 PM ET

Connor McDavid took a stranglehold on the Art Ross Trophy race and reinserted himself—if you can even say he wasn’t already a favorite—back into the Hart Trophy conversation with a vintage five-point performance on Wednesday night in San Jose.

A hat trick with two assists tacked on saw McDavid factor in on all five Oilers goals in a 5–2 divisional win over the Sharks. The world’s best player had the puck on a string all game, and even one of the best young players in the world—Macklin Celebrini—had no answer, praising his Team Canada linemate after the loss.

Celebrini said:

“He’s the best player in the league, and he’s also the fastest, so if you don’t really slow him down or get in his way he’s just gonna skate by you… I mean, it’s as simple as that. You’ve seen it his whole career. I watched it. I loved watching it when I was a fan, but it’s super frustrating when you play against it,”

The 29-year-old McDavid pushed his season totals up to a staggering 133 points (47 goals, 86 assists) through 79 games played, now six ahead of Nikita Kucherov (127 points) in league scoring.

McDavid’s play and production since Leon Draisaitl went down with an injury have been special, propelling Edmonton to the top of the Pacific Division while elevating his individual numbers in the process.

It’s the type of late-season stretch that creates the narrative for McDavid to win another Hart. Because he already has three of them in his back pocket, voters are often tempted to look for the shiny new toy. That being said, the way the Oilers captain has put the team on his shoulders of late will make it very hard to deny him a fourth.

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

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