Why Macklin Celebrini is the undisputed top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
Why Macklin Celebrini is the undisputed top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft

Is it possible to be underrated when you’ve been touted as the No. 1 NHL Draft prospect from the onset?

Because it truly feels that way about Macklin Celebrini. It takes a special player to be mentioned in the same breath as Sidney Crosby. But Celebrini is every bit the special player people are making him out to be. He might not have gotten the same hype as Connor Bedard, but he’s far closer to Bedard than most other top prospects in recent years.

“He’s just complete, there isn’t really a notable weakness in his game,” FloHockey’s Chris Peters said. “The skill is high end, the work ethic is high end, the defensive game is high end. He’s among the best players at every skill in this class.”

Sure, some top prospects get overhyped from time to time. But Celebrini deserves it: at 17, he’s the youngest Hobey Baker Award winner ever as the NCAA’s top male hockey player. And that’s just scratching the surface: Tim Taylor Award, USHL rookie of the year, USHL points leader as a rookie, U-18 World Championship bronze medal game-winning goal, USA AAA national champion, you name it. Celebrini has done so much in such a short span to make him the indubitable choice to go first overall to the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

“He’s an exceptional player and a great kid,” said Matthew Wood, a Nashville Predators prospect and Celebrini’s linemate at the 2023 U-18s. “He’s going to be really special for a long time.”

Celebrini’s season was something to behold. Boston University came short of a national title, but he still finished with 32 goals and 64 points for one of the most productive freshman seasons ever. He won more than 10 personal awards between multiple factions of the NCAA, but the Hobey Baker tops all of it. Summer shoulder surgery clearly didn’t slow him in his pursuit of greatness.

So what made him pop off? What’s the secret? There isn’t a more well-rounded player in this draft – not even Connor Bedard was as good in as many facets of the game as Celebrini. He clearly can control the puck, scoring at a high rate all season long, but he’s also an outstanding playmaker with crisp, accurate passes. He delivered whenever BU needed him to do so.

“It’s easy to be mesmerized by his offensive abilities, but I think his defensive habits are so good at such a young age,” Sirius XM host Shane Malloy said. “I think that’ll make his transition to the NHL much more seamless compared to some other top-five picks that we’ve seen in the past. And I think that’s the difference-maker for him, establishing those defensive habits really early in his game.”

Celebrini is also no slouch physically – he craves it, actually. Throughout the year, he brought bulldog-level energy to shifts, throwing big hits to help generate opportunities for his team. It’s not uncommon for top prospects to be more about puck play, but Celebrini is committed to every element of the game – and that includes getting rough at both ends of the ice.

Throughout it all, Celebrini’s maturity has been celebrated by everyone who has followed him closely. Being in the spotlight as a teenager is difficult, and it’s only amplified when people expect you to turn around an NHL franchise. But no matter the task – leading Canada at the World Juniors, or helping BU contend for a national championship – Celebrini took everything head-on and never looked back.

“It says something about his adaptability to come into a situation and read the room, have situational awareness, look at what’s going on and adapt quickly to what the coaches need to what his teammates need,” Malloy added. “And it’s not just about him; it’s about him and the group. There’s a team aspect to his personality. That makes it easier for him, to transition to that, because a lot of guys don’t like to accept a different way. He’s much more malleable as a young person, and that’s rare.”

When you’ve got to be Mr. Serious all the time, it’s easy for a top prospect to be a bit devoid of personality. But with Celebrini, it doesn’t seem like that’s really the case. Teammates, past and present, always talk about how he’s such a positive, upbeat, fun teenager who just wants to enjoy life like anyone else. Part of that can be attributed to his hard work off the ice as well, doubling up on his classes while with the Chicago Steel last year to allow him to play against older, stronger competition in the NCAA a year early.

“He’s an unbelievable kid. He’s super outgoing and has a great personality,” said Zeev Buium, Celebrini’s former teammate with Shattuck St. Mary’s. “He’s super talented, super smart, and if he’s not scoring, he’s going to run you over, too. He’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever seen. He’s a hell of a player and a really good guy. He’s been at the top of his game for a while.”

“You got to know when to flip the switch,” former Steel teammate and fellow draft prospect Michael Hage said. “But he’s an easy-going guy and easy to talk to and just fun to be around, honestly.”

With a good head on his shoulders, an excellent shot, an uber-competitive nature, a committed 200-foot game and the numbers any player would crave, Celebrini is the perfect player to go first overall. He might not be the best player from a pure skill perspective, but he’s near the top in just about everything – and that’s what makes him a perfect player in a draft filled with plenty of upside.

Celebrini has continuously said in interviews that he hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll turn pro next year or not, but there’s almost no chance he’ll go back to Boston University. He’s ready for the pro game and is set to begin a two-decade reign of terror alongside fellow college standout Will Smith in San Jose.

So, congrats, Sharks fans. The future is bright. You’ve got your own superstar with local ties, and one who is drawing comparisons to one of the best players of the 21st Century.

“There’s nobody else like Macklin Celebrini in this draft class,” one scout said. “Not even close.”

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