Nov 23, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) pursues the puck during a game against the Boston Bruins in the third period at SAP Center in San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Sharks' Macklin Celebrini Reaches Another Milestone

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Nov 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The breakout sophomore campaign for San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini continued in a losing effort against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite losing 4-3 to the Knights, Celebrini notched a career milestone in another standout performance.

Celebrini finished the game with just one assist for the Sharks, but that one assist was a meaningful one. He found forward Will Smith for a power play goal, and with that helper, Celebrini recorded the 100th point of his NHL career. He accomplishes the feat in 96 career games.

Scoring Race and MVP Challenger

So far this season, Celebrini has been one of the most impressive players in the entire NHL. His play has put him firmly in the race for the league MVP and the scoring title. He's been one of the top scorers in the NHL this season, racking up 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in just 23 games. That scoring pace over a full campaign would lead to around 120 to 130 points. For reference, last year's scoring leader in the NHL was Nikita Kucherov, who finished with 121 points.

The scoring jump is the most impressive part of his campaign, but Celebrini's case for the most valuable player is becoming stronger and stronger. The biggest piece of evidence for this claim is the fact that the Sharks are in the playoff picture as the holiday season begins.

American Thanksgiving is a line of demarcation in the regular season. An ESPN study found that 77% of teams holding a playoff spot at this point in the season will make the postseason.

The Sharks are currently tied for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Entering the NHL's Elite

With his start to the year, Celebrini is also entering the NHL's most elite group of players. The league is blessed with some of the most dominating talent it's ever seen. Players like Kucherov, or Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, or Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche or Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews have a stranglehold on the scoring races in the league.

Now, Celebrini is showing that he's right in that mix. His 37 points are second only to MacKinnon in the league scoring race this season, and the battle figures to go on until the final days of the regular season.

It goes to show just how special the 19-year-old phenom is. As he passes another personal milestone, his place in the NHL's elite has been cemented.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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