San Jose has been the most-improved team in the NHL (plus-16 wins) this season thanks to Celebrini’s dominance and the rest of the Sharks’ promising young core, which includes forwards Will Smith (No. 4 pick in 2023 NHL Draft), William Eklund (No. 7 pick in 2021 NHL Draft), Michael Misa (No. 2 pick in 2025 NHL Draft) and Collin Graf (undrafted). The Sharks have four 20-goal scorers, including Celebrini (41 goals), his frequent linemate Smith (22 goals; 21 years old), Graf (20 goals; 23 years old) and in-season trade acquisition Kiefer Sherwood (21 goals; 31 years old).
Celebrini is on pace to surpass Joe Thornton (114 points in 2006-07) for the Sharks’ single-season scoring record and has factored in on 46.3 percent of San Jose’s goals this season, the second most in the NHL behind Connor McDavid (47.5) of the Oilers. Celebrini is on pace for the highest percentage of a team’s goals in a season ever by a teenager; Gretzky currently holds the record of 45.5 percent in 1979-80.
Celebrini has had many offensive outbursts this season; he’s among the NHL leaders in multipoint games (28; tied for sixth), three-point games (17; third) and four-point games (five; tied for third). With six career four-point games through his first two NHL seasons, Celebrini ranks fourth among teenagers in history behind Gretzky (14), Crosby (eight) and Dale Hawerchuk (seven).
Here are three underlying reasons Celebrini can win the Hart Trophy this season: