Macklin Celebrini is doing everything in his power to will the San Jose Sharks into the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Celebrini is fourth in the NHL in points with 108, trailing only Connor McDavid (133), Nikita Kucherov (128), and Nathan MacKinnon (126) in his second season since being drafted first overall in the 2024 Draft. His point totals nearly double those of the Sharks’ next-leading scorer, forward Will Smith, who has 23 goals and 56 points.
The 19-year-old superstar centre has the Sharks (37-34-7) on the edge of a playoff spot with 81 points in 78 games. San Jose trails the Los Angeles Kings by four points for the final wild-card spot with four games remaining for each team.
Western Conference Standings 04-10-26
The Sharks finished last in the NHL in 2024-25, and their resurgence has not gone unnoticed as Celebrini has been at the centre of the Hart Trophy conversation for much of the season.
On Tuesday, Celebrini’s Hart Trophy odds sat at +1400, behind only MacKinnon (-114) and Kucherov (+116). The Sharks have since lost back-to-back games to Pacific Division opponents by a combined score of 11-3, putting a serious dent in their playoff hopes and Celebrini’s Hart Trophy odds.
Following the two losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks, Celebrini (+6000) now sits a distant fourth in Hart odds behind MacKinnon (-162), McDavid (+220), and Kucherov (+550).
“It’s not good enough this time of the year,” Sharks forward Kiefer Sherwood said after the 6-1 loss to the Ducks. “We can’t be outwilled or outworked, it’s unacceptable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a back-to-back.”
Celebrini and the Sharks have games remaining against the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Winnipeg Jets as they try to make a final push for the playoffs.
McDavid odds soar as Oilers take control of Pacific
As the Sharks’ playoff hopes wane, McDavid has led the Oilers (40-29-10) on a late-season surge and has the club at the top of the Pacific Division with three games remaining on their schedule.
The 29-year-old superstar scored his 15th career hat trick and finished with five points in the Oilers’ 5-2 win over the Sharks on Wednesday, vaulting them one point clear of the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the division.
“It was a big two points,” McDavid said after the win. “I thought everybody played really well, and personally, I got a couple of bounces early, which always helps. It was a fun game.”
Following the five-point effort, McDavid is once again in the driver’s seat in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with 133 points in 79 games, five points ahead of Kucherov. It is the second-highest point total of McDavid’s career, only behind his 64-goal, 153-point campaign in 2022-23.
As he put himself in pole position for his sixth Art Ross as the NHL’s leading scorer, McDavid has also seen his Hart Trophy odds soar, moving from a distant fourth (+2000) to second (+220) behind MacKinnon, who leads the NHL with 52 goals.
McDavid has won the Hart three times (2016-17, 2020-21, 2022-23) and has put himself in a prime position to win a fourth. Only Wayne Gretzky (nine), Gordie Howe (six), and Eddie Shore (four) have won the award more times.
