Macklin Celebrini keeps the Sharks in the playoff hunt with 107-point season

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — April has an old-time feeling around the San Jose Sharks this year.

The Shark Tank is buzzing again, the team is playing meaningful late-season hockey games and San Jose has a shot to snap a six-year playoff drought thanks in large part to a teenage sensation putting up numbers reminiscent of some of the game’s greatest players.

Macklin Celebrini had an assist on Will Smith’s game-winning goal against Chicago on Monday night to give the 19-year-old 66 assists to go with his 41 goals this season as the Sharks remained in the playoff hunt. San Jose is two points behind Los Angeles for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with one game in hand.

“We can talk about him all day,” teammate Alexander Wennberg said. “He’s unbelievable. He’s a game-changer. He’s the leader right here. He’s stepping up and making key plays. He’s making the difference. I feel like everyone’s doing a great effort, goaltending, defensively. But he just has a little bit extra.”

Celebrini’s performance has not only put the Sharks in the playoff race but has placed him in the running for the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP. Celebrini currently has the third-best odds to win the award, according to BetMGM, behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov.

Celebrini is fourth in the league in points with 107 and is just the sixth teenager ever to have at least 100 in a season.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “It was a goal of mine. I didn’t really think I’d do it this year. I have a bunch of amazing teammates that helped me get here.”

Only two players have ever won the Hart Trophy in a season before they turned 20 with Wayne Gretzky doing it in 1979-80 and Sidney Crosby in 2006-07.

Gretzky and Crosby are the only teenagers ever to score more points in a season than Celebrini’s 107 with the Great One setting a record for teens with 137 in his Hart Trophy season and Crosby finishing with 120 when he won it.

But those players had far more help than Celebrini, whose MVP case is about how much of a share of the Sharks offense he has to carry. Celebrini has a point on 46.1% of goals for San Jose this season — the best mark ever for a player before turning 20 -- and the second highest in the league this season to Connor McDavid’s 47.5% for Edmonton headed into Tuesday night.

“He can handle it,” teammate Zack Ostapchuk said. “He’s not a typical 19-year old. He can do that. He’s our guy.”

Celebrini turned the fortunes of the franchise ever since he was chosen No. 1 overall in the 2024 draft. San Jose had gone from one of the most successful franchises in the league over a 15-year span starting in 2003-04 with five trips to the conference final and one Stanley Cup Final appearance to one of the worst before this Celebrini-engineered turnaround.

San Jose had the worst record in the league the past six seasons and finished last in points the previous two seasons before getting back into contention this year.

“No one thought we’d be here,” coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Let’s be honest. Here we are. We’re going to embrace it and keep going."

One of the few people not surprised is Celebrini, who expects success. He grew up getting to see great athletes up close with his father, Rick, having served as director of sports medicine and performance the past eight seasons for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Celebrini has also played on a high level internationally, appearing in the 2025 World Championships for Team Canada and leading all players with five goals on the way to winning a silver medal at the Olympics in February.

“I think we had expectations on ourselves,” Celebrini said of the Sharks. “You can say all you want about the division or the position we’re in. But the goal is to make the playoffs, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Celebrini has helped renew interest in the team locally. The Sharks have sold out 21 games this season — nearly double the total of 11 from the season before he arrived — and attendance is up nearly 2,000 fans per game over last season.

An arena that was one of the most difficult for opposing teams to play in during the franchise’s heyday is back to its old form after years of small crowds and empty seats following the pandemic.

“The fans are here. It’s loud. We’re winning games, and we’re making a push,” Celebrini said. “This is exciting. I haven’t really been through this before. I’m just trying to soak it up.”

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San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) hits the puck past Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) and center Fedor Svechkov (40) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates with defenseman Dmitry Orlov (9) after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini celebrates after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

John Harbaugh likened the start of his first offseason program as coach of the New York Giants to the first day of school, so he kept introducing himself to players along the way.

“I’m like, ‘Hi, John Harbaugh,’" he said with a chuckle. “Most guys will say, hey and give me their name. Some guys don’t give me their name and I'm like, ‘Dude, I’m not really sure who you are.’”

Harbaugh knows who Dexter Lawrence is but did not get the chance to say hello Tuesday. The three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle was one of three players not present, following word that Lawrence had asked for a trade.

Attendance is voluntary at this stage, and Harbaugh cited good conversations with agent Joel Segal while acknowledging he was not surprised by Lawrence's absence. Still, though, Harbaugh estimated “the prospects are going to be high” for Lawrence to stick around.

“Speaking for the Giants, we want Dexter here. I believe Dexter wants to be here. That’s a good formula,” Harbaugh said on a video call with reporters. “But there’s business involved. It’s a business proposition. We know it’s pro football. These things happen every year pretty much on every team.”

Harbaugh spent the past 18 season with the Baltimore Ravens, coached them to a Super Bowl, and three years ago dealt with a trade request from quarterback Lamar Jackson, which got resolved. Familiarity helped that situation, though Harbaugh said this also calls for a patient approach.

"It’s going to work out," Harbaugh said. “It’s high-level business, high-level football. I’m sure it will be handled in a real high-level way like that. I’m not worried about it.”

Lawrence, 28, has two years left on his contract, set to earn $20 million and $19.5 million, respectively. He's coming off a tumultuous 17 games in which he finished with a career-low 31 tackles and a half-sack.

Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy called New York's front the best he and the Kansas City Chiefs saw last season, and Lawrence is a significant part of that, even if the stats are not there.

"He’s a beast," Nagy said. “He’s been doing it a while and a lot of respect for him. I just know that when we played him last year, we had to know where he was on every play.”

Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson reached out after getting the job on Harbaugh's new staff to open a line of communication and sensed Lawrence was in a good place.

“Hopefully everything works out in our favor, but, hey, I love Dexter and we have a good relationship,” Wilson said. “For me personally, and from an organization standpoint, we understand the value of Dex. We love him, and we understand the business side, as well.”

Cornerback Paulson Adebo made it two defensive starters not in attendance for the start of the spring program, Harbaugh said, adding he was not sure of the reason.

“It's his right,” Harbaugh said. “Guys come or not come according to their choosing: voluntary time of year.”

Harbaugh said the third player who did not take part was defensive tackle Sam Roberts, who had a procedure that did not allow him to travel to the practice facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Top receiver Malik Nabers is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee from a home game on Sept. 28, and running back Cam Skattebo is working back from a dislocated right ankle and additional damage incurred Oct. 26 at Philadelphia.

Each player was at the facility, Harbaugh said, with Skattebo ahead of Nabers, who is expected back either during training camp or closer to the season.

“It wouldn’t be fair for me to give you days or dates,” Harbaugh said. “I have a vague idea. It’s not that important today.”

After edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux's name surfaced in trade buzz in recent weeks, Harbaugh said “everybody's tradeable.” But Thibodeaux was in attendance and has not been traded yet, if he is at all.

“He’s a great player,” Harbaugh said. “I’m excited about him. I was fired up to see him today. He looks great, he’s in great shape. I’m thinking about him on the field, getting him plugged into our defense and getting him rolling.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

FILE - New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh talks with reporters at the annual NFL football meetings, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)