Jan 10, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates to the bench for a line change against the Dallas Stars during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini Remains Hart Trophy Candidate

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Seth Dowdle | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 7:00 AM ET

Five hundred sixty-six days ago, Macklin Celebrini was drafted first overall by the San Jose Sharks. Now, just a year and a half later, the 19-year-old is a superstar who could potentially take home the Hart Memorial Trophy at season’s end.

The Hart Memorial Trophy, the annual award given to the league’s most valuable player, is reserved for the best of the best — the stalwarts, the difference-makers. It is for those players who shine brighter than their counterparts. Wayne Gretzky — the best to ever do it — won the Hart a record nine times. Alex Ovechkin, who broke Gretzky’s scoring record last season, has taken the award home on three occasions. Connor McDavid, one of the most talented centers to ever grace an NHL rink, has also won it three times. In other words, it takes a special kind of player to win the Hart, and Celebrini might just be up to the task.

Celebrini’s Chasing the Greats

Celebrini is on the precipice of an all-time season. Through 46 games, he has scored 24 goals and recorded 47 assists. His 71 points are the third-most in the NHL, with perennial greats Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon sitting just ahead of him. What is more, the Sharks are right in the thick of the Stanley Cup playoff race for the first time in what feels like eons.

It is all because of Celebrini. Without him, the team would be a shell of itself. With him, however, it is close to returning to the postseason and potentially competing for a championship.

In a vacuum, it is easy to see why Celebrini would be a Hart contender. His numbers are otherworldly, and his team is competitive. But the Hart Memorial Trophy is not awarded in a vacuum, and one has to look outside the Celebrini-and-Sharks bubble to get a clearer picture of just how realistic his chances are. While he is playing exceptionally well, the greats are great for a reason, and overtaking McDavid and MacKinnon in the race for the NHL’s MVP will not be easy.

Some would argue that even then, the award should still be Celebrini’s. After all, without him, the Sharks would likely be down on their luck once again, hovering near the bottom of the league standings. In that sense, Celebrini truly is the “most valuable player” in the NHL. But the award is rarely presented in that fashion, meaning the most likely recipient will probably be MacKinnon or McDavid — and for good reason. Both players are at the top of their game, and their teams, particularly MacKinnon’s Avalanche, are Stanley Cup contenders through and through.

So while Celebrini is very much in the hunt for the Hart, it is unlikely it will be his by season’s end. That does not mean he is not fantastic — because he is — but it does show that to win the league’s most coveted individual award, one has to be great and stand taller than every other giant sharing the ice.

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

More must-reads: