F Macklin Celebrini (2024, 1st, SJS)

[zombie kopitar]

Steve Yzerman

The list of players he's been compared to is staggering; Crosby, Toews, Yzerman, Bergeron, Kariya, Gilmour, Datsyuk, Kane, Gilmour...it just keeps going

I will bring up another Peter Forsberg, they play the game very similar , and I think he will keep getting scrappier as he grows into his frame, he just has too much compete. And he very much shoots the puck like Kariya, I think a HNIC analyst made that comparison and I was like damn

McDavid was better. That’s it though.

Points per game leaders in 2015-2016:

Patrick Kane - 1.293
Jamie Benn - 1.085
18 year old Connor McDavid - 1.067
Sidney Crosby - 1.063

I didn't watch Mcdavid rookie year so I'm certainly not going to say who's is better, but saying Mcdavid is better solely cause of PPG is a little myopic

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I didn't watch Mcdavid rookie year so I'm certainly not going to say who's is better, but saying Mcdavid is better solely cause of PPG is a little myopic

You could’ve stopped after those first 6 words.

McDavid was one of the few best players in the league at that point.

 

[wetcoast]

Jfresh fan poll (114K votes, H2H) has Celebrini as the 30th best Forward in the NHL at the end of 2024.

Well it's a fan vote but not as bad as expected but some really bad picks.

 

[FDBluth]

The list of players he's been compared to is staggering; Crosby, Toews, Yzerman, Bergeron, Kariya, Gilmour, Datsyuk, Kane, Gilmour...it just keeps going

I will bring up another Peter Forsberg, they play the game very similar , and I think he will keep getting scrappier as he grows into his frame, he just has too much compete. And he very much shoots the puck like Kariya, I think a HNIC analyst made that comparison and I was like damn

I didn't watch Mcdavid rookie year so I'm certainly not going to say who's is better, but saying Mcdavid is better solely cause of PPG is a little myopic

Third most productive player in the league at 18 is insane. That's like Celebrini stepping right into the league and nipping at the heels of McDavid, Kucherov, Mackinnon etc in production. The league is different now in a lot of ways, but still.

 

[zombie kopitar]

Third most productive player in the league at 18 is insane. That's like Celebrini stepping right into the league and nipping at the heels of McDavid, Kucherov, Mackinnon etc in production. The league is different now in a lot of ways, but still.

That's fair, again not knocking Mcdavid's season or saying Macklin has been better. But, Mcdavid certainly had much higher end talent to play with, and some of Mack's advance metrics do indeed put him in already elite status as well. That's all I'll say, not trying to make it a debate, Macklin will in all likelihood never be the offensive player that he is; but, his current trajectory is argubly more exciting in a different way

 

[FDBluth]

That's fair, again not knocking Mcdavid's season or saying Macklin has been better. But, Mcdavid certainly had much higher end talent to play with, and some of Mack's advance metrics do indeed put him in already elite status as well. That's all I'll say, not trying to make it a debate, Macklin will in all likelihood never be the offensive player that he is; but, his current trajectory is argubly more exciting in a different way

McDavid's rookie year team was pretty bad, and Draisatl hadn't established himself yet at that point either.

But I do agree Celebrini is a really exciting prospect--the way he wins battles reminds me a lot of young Crosby when he came into the league, but he has a rangier frame which I think is really beneficial for a two-way forward. I think he can become a higher end version of Patrice Bergeron in his prime.

 

[karltonian]

Sure, but none of that addresses the finishing aspect.

I think it does. Without legimate threats other than himself, goaltenders do not need to cheat, cutting down on the gaps he may have to exploit. Also without other players that can play around the net, defense can commit to taking away his time and space. Even on his breakaways, he has rarely legitimately had the time and space to make the move he might want to.

 

[coooldude]

I think it does. Without legimate threats other than himself, goaltenders do not need to cheat, cutting down on the gaps he may have to exploit. Also without other players that can play around the net, defense can commit to taking away his time and space. Even on his breakaways, he has rarely legitimately had the time and space to make the move he might want to.

Shootouts, breakaways, last night with eons of time in front of the net. He's shown the ability to score in many ways EXCEPT finishing in tight. I don't think it has anything to do with how much time and space he has because I'm specifically talking about instances where he does have time and space and there's nobody else around him.

 

[karltonian]

Shootouts, breakaways, last night with eons of time in front of the net. He's shown the ability to score in many ways EXCEPT finishing in tight. I don't think it has anything to do with how much time and space he has because I'm specifically talking about instances where he does have time and space and there's nobody else around him.

There are less of these opportunities then you probably think and I can't think of a clear breakaway. There's nobody to get him the puck, he's the playmaker. Even last night he found himself in front but in tight and without as much time and control as you portray. Of course we'd hope he scores every time but even the best don't.

Hopefully with time he does improve in this area as the game slows down for him even more. An area I haven't seen much from him yet is deflections. Could be the utter lack of defensemen with offensive acumen but so far nothing of note given his obviously good hand-eye.

 

[QJL]

The list of players he's been compared to is staggering; Crosby, Toews, Yzerman, Bergeron, Kariya, Gilmour, Datsyuk, Kane, Gilmour...it just keeps going

I will bring up another Peter Forsberg, they play the game very similar , and I think he will keep getting scrappier as he grows into his frame, he just has too much compete. And he very much shoots the puck like Kariya, I think a HNIC analyst made that comparison and I was like damn

I didn't watch Mcdavid rookie year so I'm certainly not going to say who's is better, but saying Mcdavid is better solely cause of PPG is a little myopic

He was better because he was playing like Connor McDavid has his whole life. He has dominated at every step.

 

[coooldude]

There are less of these opportunities then you probably think and I can't think of a clear breakaway.

Maybe? I've watched every shift. He has had at least two breakaways, but none lately that I can remember. He's had at least two SO attempts, but I think three.

There's nobody to get him the puck, he's the playmaker.

But he has gotten it all alone and not finished, so even though it does not happen much, it does happen.

Even last night he found himself in front but in tight and without as much time and control as you portray.

No? He had time to make 2 moves AND try to stuff a rebound. This is a lot of time in beer league let alone the NHL.

Of course we'd hope he scores every time but even the best don't.

I'm not saying he never will, but I am saying it's notable that he's scored in nearly every possible way in 12 goals /26 games except in all alone.

Hopefully with time he does improve in this area as the game slows down for him even more. An area I haven't seen much from him yet is deflections.

I'm not sure I can remember a good deflection goal all season, so I think that's more about the system and the defense as you stated.

 

[Faceboner]

Maybe? I've watched every shift. He has had at least two breakaways, but none lately that I can remember. He's had at least two SO attempts, but I think three.


But he has gotten it all alone and not finished, so even though it does not happen much, it does happen.

No? He had time to make 2 moves AND try to stuff a rebound. This is a lot of time in beer league let alone the NHL.

I'm not saying he never will, but I am saying it's notable that he's scored in nearly every possible way in 12 goals /26 games except in all alone.

I'm not sure I can remember a good deflection goal all season, so I think that's more about the system and the defense as you stated.

That will happen your expecting him to be perfect right off the bat, it's exceptional that he is generating those chances as a rookie, he will get more polish and become better and add more finish than he already has.

 

[coooldude]

That will happen your expecting him to be perfect right off the bat, it's exceptional that he is generating those chances as a rookie, he will get more polish and become better and add more finish than he already has.

When did I say I expected him to finish all those chances or be perfect? I'm pointing out that he's NOT perfect, this is fine, this is the opposite of expecting him to be perfect. What we shouldn't do is pretend he is perfect, as good as Crosby/McDavid, etc etc.

I'm extremely happy with his start.

 

[Faceboner]

When did I say I expected him to finish all those chances or be perfect? I'm pointing out that he's NOT perfect, this is fine, this is the opposite of expecting him to be perfect. What we shouldn't do is pretend he is perfect, as good as Crosby/McDavid, etc etc.

I'm extremely happy with his start.

I would temper those comparisons as well but he looks like he is in that Mackinnon range

 

[Forlan]

I would temper those comparisons as well but he looks like he is in that Mackinnon range

I agree, I hope he can still increase his speed and improve his skating a bit. Then there's no stopping him

 

[Jargon]

I agree, I hope he can still increase his speed and improve his skating a bit. Then there's no stopping him

If there’s one player who I can see constantly evolving and getting better, faster, stronger, etc etc. it’s Celebrini. Between his nonstop drive to win and get better and a dad who is an expert in sport’s fitness, it’s scary to think how good he’s going to be at 24-25. Like he just turned 18 this summer, he’s a child still.

So yeah, I think there’s a high chance he gets faster, definitely that he gets stronger, and I can see him adding lots of new tricks to his toolbox as he grows.