Celebrini for Calder

StanleyCup2035

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Oct 1, 2017
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Beyond the scoring, vision, defense, his compete is 2nd to none. Looking forward to this being the first one of many awards for #71
 

Juxtaposer

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Dec 21, 2009
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I watch an absolute metric ton of hockey at all levels and there simply isn't a hockey player more fun than Macklin Celebrini right now. He's quite simply what you get if you took five NHL GMs, locked them in a room for eight hours, and told them to cook up their perfect hockey player. The only thing he's "missing" is being 6'4", but he obviously doesn't even need that to out-battle grown men.

We're so f***ing lucky.
 

Jargon

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
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I watch an absolute metric ton of hockey at all levels and there simply isn't a hockey player more fun than Macklin Celebrini right now. He's quite simply what you get if you took five NHL GMs, locked them in a room for eight hours, and told them to cook up their perfect hockey player. The only thing he's "missing" is being 6'4", but he obviously doesn't even need that to out-battle grown men.

We're so f***ing lucky.

I mentioned this in the game thread but it’s wild comparing him physically to Will Smith. They’re roughly the same size but Will obviously REALLY needs to add a bunch of muscle still to be competing in the NHL. Macklin, who is younger, wins battles and knocks guys over. Really helps to have Rick Celebrini as your dad, I guess. It’s crazy to think what a force he’ll be in a few years when he’s fully grown into his body.

One thing I didn’t expect with Mack is how fun he is to watch. A lot of the scouting reports talked about him as a non-flashy player but like, he’s wildly entertaining. He’s everywhere, his shot is insane, he’s got great hands — he’s a total blast to watch.
 

coooldude

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Jul 25, 2007
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My curmudgeonly elderly dad said last night at the game that he'd come to the rink just to watch Celebrini play. He's electric and raw and it's amazing.

I couldn't believe his first goal last night. The exact moment you discount the shot from being a possibility he no-looks a snipe far side top cheese. Incredible. Up to that point I actually thought he and the Lunds hadn't looked all that great yet.
 

Juxtaposer

Outro: Divina Comedia
Dec 21, 2009
50,329
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Bay Area
I mentioned this in the game thread but it’s wild comparing him physically to Will Smith. They’re roughly the same size but Will obviously REALLY needs to add a bunch of muscle still to be competing in the NHL. Macklin, who is younger, wins battles and knocks guys over. Really helps to have Rick Celebrini as your dad, I guess. It’s crazy to think what a force he’ll be in a few years when he’s fully grown into his body.

One thing I didn’t expect with Mack is how fun he is to watch. A lot of the scouting reports talked about him as a non-flashy player but like, he’s wildly entertaining. He’s everywhere, his shot is insane, he’s got great hands — he’s a total blast to watch.
Absolutely. You watch Smith, and even guys like Fantilli and Carlsson who have bigger frames, and they're all kids out there. Celebrini is already so strong.

The crazy thing about Celebrini is that he's going to get even better than he already is. And he's already so good. He's the type of personality who will constantly find ways to get better through his whole career, like Crosby or Mackinnon.

"Non-flashy" is basically just because he doesn't dangle through five guys at once.
 

coooldude

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"Non-flashy" is basically just because he doesn't dangle through five guys at once.
One thing about his game that is flashy in person but doesn't come thru quite as strongly for me on TV is the zone entry play. He enters with speed and players are already respecting him and backing off ever so slightly. He takes the risky, small area space between the blue line and the defenders and relies on incredibly tight stickhandling to find just enough space to make a clean pass, often through at least one defender.

This also leads to at least one high turnover a game which he really needs to clean up, but the skill required to stickhandle in a phone booth to make the controlled entry and clean pass is so impressive. Hopefully we see teams counteract and try to close him down sooner, leaving an opening to go through or around them or find the open teammate. As it is today, his teammates have to be ready for the pass and also have to be ready for the turnover going the other way.
 

TheBigDrunkPanda

Registered User
Oct 19, 2021
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One thing about his game that is flashy in person but doesn't come thru quite as strongly for me on TV is the zone entry play. He enters with speed and players are already respecting him and backing off ever so slightly. He takes the risky, small area space between the blue line and the defenders and relies on incredibly tight stickhandling to find just enough space to make a clean pass, often through at least one defender.

This also leads to at least one high turnover a game which he really needs to clean up, but the skill required to stickhandle in a phone booth to make the controlled entry and clean pass is so impressive. Hopefully we see teams counteract and try to close him down sooner, leaving an opening to go through or around them or find the open teammate. As it is today, his teammates have to be ready for the pass and also have to be ready for the turnover going the other way.
I think what’s even crazier is that even when teams stack 4 players on the blue line like LA did last night he’s still gaining the zone. The amount of respect he is getting already is something to behold honestly.
 

SJSharksfan39

Registered User
Oct 11, 2008
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I hate the fact that his injury to start the year might cost him even consideration for the calder. It's not his fault he got injured. I also hope there aren't other injuries, even though anything is possible with 60+ games left.
 

hohosaregood

Banned
Sep 1, 2011
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I hate the fact that his injury to start the year might cost him even consideration for the calder. It's not his fault he got injured. I also hope there aren't other injuries, even though anything is possible with 60+ games left.
I don't think it'll change much. He might miss a couple games here and there but if he hits 65ish games, thatll probably be enough. It's unlikely the field will have many more games than he will by the end of the season.
 

Levie

Registered User
Mar 15, 2011
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But have you heard of our lord and savior Matvei Michkov, the greatest and most talented Russian winger of all time?
Matvei Michkov? Never heard of him. But there was one guy who was drafted the same year as Bedard who will easily be the best Russian goalscorer of all time.
 

TheBigDrunkPanda

Registered User
Oct 19, 2021
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I hate the fact that his injury to start the year might cost him even consideration for the calder. It's not his fault he got injured. I also hope there aren't other injuries, even though anything is possible with 60+ games left.
I don’t think it will, he’s almost a PPG pace and Michkov only has a 7pnt lead with 8 more games played. Stank is only 5 ahead and on a much better team you’d think his production would be better

Celebrini has yet to go on a hot streak of consecutive games with points, he could easily erase that lead in 2-3 games
 

timorous me

Gristled Veteran
Apr 14, 2010
2,357
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One thing about his game that is flashy in person but doesn't come thru quite as strongly for me on TV is the zone entry play. He enters with speed and players are already respecting him and backing off ever so slightly. He takes the risky, small area space between the blue line and the defenders and relies on incredibly tight stickhandling to find just enough space to make a clean pass, often through at least one defender.

This also leads to at least one high turnover a game which he really needs to clean up, but the skill required to stickhandle in a phone booth to make the controlled entry and clean pass is so impressive. Hopefully we see teams counteract and try to close him down sooner, leaving an opening to go through or around them or find the open teammate. As it is today, his teammates have to be ready for the pass and also have to be ready for the turnover going the other way.
Celebrini's zone entry ability feels like a cheat code. And my god is it something this Sharks team desperately needed.
 

Star Platinum

Registered User
May 11, 2024
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Celebrini's zone entry ability feels like a cheat code. And my god is it something this Sharks team desperately needed.
You'd think someone would get inspired by a guy who consistently comes into the zone with speed and forces the other team to react to get inspired by it and maybe now and then try something other than giving the puck up at the first sign of resistance, but not yet.
 

Barrie22

Shark fan in hiding
Aug 11, 2009
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You'd think someone would get inspired by a guy who consistently comes into the zone with speed and forces the other team to react to get inspired by it and maybe now and then try something other than giving the puck up at the first sign of resistance, but not yet.
Not sure i want many other on the team to try and make things happen by holding onto the puck longer. It is scary enough when the puck just goes to there stick in the first place.
 

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