The San Jose Sharks have been around since 1991 and have been a staple most of their existence in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. In 34 seasons the Sharks have made the post-season 21 times. The last seven years the Sharks have not been swimming close to beaches as they’ve been hanging out in deeper waters instead. Last time the Sharks made post-season play was back in the 2018-19 season. This season suddenly the youth have gone wild. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to the mix. This year’s team finds themselves one point behind the Seattle Kraken & LA Kings for the second wild spot in the Western Conference. Last year the Sharks sank deep into the depth of the NHL standings and tallied up only 44 points. This season they have a winning record at 32-28-6 which is good for 70 points. One of the biggest reasons why the Sharks are swimming closer to the coast line this season is because of the rise of Macklin Celebrini. He’s a 19 year old in his 2nd NHL season making an early statement being one of the league’s up-and-coming Superstars.

Macklin Celebrini was drafted number 1 overall in the NHL draft in 2024. In his rookie season Celebrini tallied 25 goals while racking up 38 assists for a total of 63 points. In year two of his NHL career, Celebrini is 5th in the NHL in points. This season the Sharks’ young forward has lit the lamp 35 times which is already 10 goals more than his rookie season. He has dished out 60 assists which is good for 95 points. In two seasons Celebrini has tallied up 60 goals along with dishing out 98 assists for 158 points. He has helped the Sharks franchise speed up the process. He is getting his team to the level of playing meaningful hockey this quickly in his career. The next Connor McDavid was going to be the number 1 draft pick in the 2023 NHL draft from the Blackhawks in Connor Bedard. Bedard has been around 3 seasons in Chicago. In those 3 seasons he has lit the lamp 72 times while racking up 120 assists for 192 total points. Bedard has had some injuries he has dealt with so far in his first three seasons. Celebrini looks closer to McDavid than Bedard. The Blackhawks have tried to add pieces around their young superstar with veterans and trying to develop young draft picks to play alongside Bedard, but it has not worked out. It’s the same ole story for Chicago as they are once again at the bottom of the barrel in the hockey world. While Celebrini was skating with the top line with McDavid for Canada at the recent Winter Olympics. Bedard did not play in the Olympics.

Connor Bedard was drafted by the Blackhawks number 1 overall in 2023. In the same year, the San Jose Sharks selected center Will Smith at number 4 overall in the 2023 NHL draft. Smith came one season earlier than Macklin Celebrini. In two seasons hockey experts compare Smith and Celebrini as that young pair of superstars the last Blackhawks dynasty had in Jonathan Toews along with Patrick Kane. Let’s remember Kane and Toews hoisted three Stanley Cups for the Blackhawks and took that franchise out of the ark ages. In the first few seasons before they hoisted their first one in 2010, they were on the brink taking their team to the post-season. Then the Chicago dynamic duo finally made the Stanley Cup playoffs and shone. Then Chicago added more talent around them and the rest is history with that dynasty. Smith this season has 19 goals along with assists which is good for 45 points and he is only 21 years of age. These two Sharks are growing into Great Whites as we speak.

The Sharks record after the Olympic break in the action of the NHL are 5-4-2 which counts that loss last night to Connor McDavid’s Oilers. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to this squad. The last two years Tyler Toffoli has contributed to the Sharks. He’s a 14 year veteran in the NHL and has 18 goals this season. The Sharks do not have a true captain on this team. As they have multiple alternates which includes Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini. Other players on the Sharks that have authority on the team on and off the ice include veteran Barclay Goodrow. Goodrow started his career with the Sharks in the 2014-15 season. The 32 year old winger has been back wearing the teal in his second stint with the team for last two seasons. He comes back to San Jose after winning two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sharks roster also features some younger players which are starting to develop. The Sharks have only made it to one Stanley Cup with all those post-season appearances which was in 2016. Goodrow was on that Sharks team with stars they had like Joe Thornton, Logan Culture, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns. That 2016 team did not win the Cup that year as the Penguins knocked out San Jose that season. With a young dynamic duo in place with Smith and Celebrini, the Sharks could be better than those old teams they used to have. If the Sharks make it to post-season this year earlier than projected with all those young guys, it will be a good thing just with the experience they can get.These guys are growing together. Most of the veterans they have now will be gone when this team gets really good. New veteran pieces will be added along with these solid younger pieces they assembled who continue to take another step each season. Celebrini looks legit and will be the one of the next superstars in the NHL for years and years. I hope the Sharks make it to the post-season to see these kids experience their first taste in the Lord Stanley Cup post-season.