Nathan MacKinnon: Young Sharks Center Has Olympic Potential

Celebrini is one of three finalists for the NHL's top rookie award, alongside Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf. All that the 18-year-old Vancouver, British Columbia native did was score 63 points (25-38-63) in 70 NHL regular season games, all while being a 200-foot wizard for one of the league's worst teams.

Now, the soon-to-be 19-year-old (June 13, 2006) is riding shotgun on Canadian captain Sidney Crosby's line, and setting up the 37-year-old with tape-to-tape no-look behind-the-back passes for tap-in goals. Simply put, if you had to describe Celebrini in one word, it might be special.

After a dominant NCAA season in his draft year, Celebrini moved on to the NHL, and now, he is getting compliments from Stanley Cup champion Nathan MacKinnon. You'd think that these young players coming in would be starstruck by the talent around them, but it doesn't appear that he has been.

But it's unsurprising that he has been doing this, because Wolf, as a goaltender and rookie, has also been doing things that aren't characteristic of a young, undersized goaltender. The same thing can be said about Hutson as well, and with each passing season, the things that teenagers are doing are pretty crazy.

Player development has taken significant strides, both in importance and the growth of each organization's team designated strictly to prospects. Coaching across the NCAA and CHL also deserves immense recognition. So, the frequency of players emerging at quite young ages is increasing.

Cale Makar entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as a rookie, and he didn't look out of place. Connor Bedard was drafted in June 2023, and by April 2024 he has he scored 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games.

Celebrini doing what he is right now with Crosby is cementing his place on Canada's Olympic roster, and he could make it over Bedard and many other very talented forwards. Imagine being 18 years old, and hearing MacKinnon submit a reference for you.

The future of the NHL is in good hands, and Team Canada has nothing to worry about; the talent pool is budding with stars.