Macklin Celebrini breaks Sharks icon Joe Thornton's franchise record in just his second NHL season

Doing it in a different way, Thornton's then-record point total came as the result of just 22 goals and a league-leading 92 assists. To Thornton's credit, his Starks best was not his personal high. He registered 125 points in total while splitting time between the Bruins and Sharks in 2005-06. 

Through just two NHL seasons, Celebrini already has 70 goals, 108 assists and 178 points in 152 games, averaging about 1.16 points per game. He enjoyed a significant bump from the 25 goals, 38 helpers and 63 points that he produced as a rookie last season.

As should be the case with a generational talent, the Sharks advanced from being at the bottom of the entire league as the worst team in hockey after the end of the 2024-25 season, to falling shy of the playoffs as a fringe contender this year. 

Thanks to Celebrini's historic sophomore season, San Jose went from only 20 wins and 52 team points to 39 wins and 86 points. 

The sky now appears to be the limit for both Celebrini as a player and where he can take the Sharks, a franchise that has only reached Stanley Cup Final once, a run through the Western Conference led by non other than Thornton in the spring of 2016.