Celebrini, Smith giving Sharks good look at promising future

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Macklin Celebrini is even surprising himself these days.

The 18-year-old center for the San Jose Sharks had just gotten off the ice following practice Monday when he learned he'd been named the NHL's First Star of the Week.

"First star of what?" Celebrini asked. "In the NHL? Holy …"

Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, had seven points (four goals, three assists), including two game-winning goals, to help the Sharks (9-13-5) go 3-1-0 in four games. This came one day after he was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November, when he led first-year players in goals (seven) and points (12) in 14 games.

Celebrini and 19-year-old rookie forward Will Smith, who also had seven points (three goals, four assists) in four games last week, have been giving the Sharks a good look at their promising future while playing key roles in their 9-6-3 turnaround following an 0-7-2 start. Each carries a four-game point streak into San Jose's visit to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NBCSCA).

"It's obviously nice, but I think the bigger thing is we're winning some games right now and we're scoring a lot of goals as a team," Celebrini said. "It's not one guy or a couple guys. I feel like we're getting it from our defensemen. We're getting it from all throughout our lineup. It's nice to have that camaraderie and that chemistry throughout the lineup."

Celebrini, who became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate men's player in the United States as a 17-year-old freshman at Boston University last season, has been productive whenever he's been in the Sharks lineup. Despite missing 12 games after aggravating a hip injury in San Jose's season opener, he is second in the NHL among rookies with eight goals, behind only Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers (nine), and is tied for third with Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens with 14 points in 15 games.

While Celebrini was working his way back from his injury, Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, struggled through his first month in the NHL. After leading the NCAA with 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in 41 games as a freshman at Boston College last season, Smith didn't have a point in his first eight games before scoring his first two goals in a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 31.

He had only two assists in the nine games that followed before getting in rhythm with three consecutive multipoint games last week.

"I think all around the team's playing better," Smith said. "Found a little bit of a groove here, so it's good. Just keep working and keep going."

San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky has seen the growth in Celebrini and Smith from the start of the season. For Celebrini, who finished third in the NCAA with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games last season, the improvement has been in his defensive play as the center on the Sharks' top line between William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund.

"Being more underneath pucks in the defensive zone, being more of a 200-foot center," Warsofsky said. "His hockey sense and IQ is through the roof where you tell him something once and he picks it up the next game, the next shift, so as an 18-year-old kid it's super impressive how he can respond."

Smith, who has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 22 games this season, had to battle through his early struggles to find the confidence that he can make plays offensively in the NHL.

"I think you have more time and space than you think [for] making more plays and more good comes out of it," said Smith, who has been playing right wing on a line with Klim Kostin and center Mikael Granlund. "Put a couple in the back of the net, which was good. As a line, I think we're making a bunch of good plays."

The Sharks took things gradually with Smith, not playing him in games on consecutive days before he helped them sweep a back-to-back set with the Seattle Kraken on Friday (8-5) and Saturday (4-2) with three points (two goals, one assist) in the two victories.

"To me, what it looks like is he's not really forcing anything anymore," Granlund said. "He's such a talented, smart player out there, he's just got to do the right things all over again and all the sudden the game kind of comes to you. You're going to find your spots when to make that great play that he really can do, so that's maybe the biggest thing. He's more comfortable and, obviously, getting on the scoreboard. That helps for sure as well."

Celebrini and Smith have a strong support system that includes veteran forward Tyler Toffoli and retired Sharks legends Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Celebrini lives with Thornton and his family, Smith with Marleau and his family.

"It's a huge resource for us and just because 'Jumbo' lives with Macklin, that doesn't mean 'Patty' doesn't talk to 'Mack', too," Warsofsky said. "So, I think just the resources they have from both those players is remarkable."

Celebrini and Smith also have relied on each other through their first experiences as professionals. They are roommates on the road and spend a lot of time with each other away from the rink.

"We're obviously good buddies," Smith said. "We lean on each other if we need and talk about different stuff. Even away from the rink it's good to have a guy the same age and kind of get away from hockey."

There will likely be some more growing pains ahead for Celebrini and Smith with the rebuilding Sharks, but they are already showing their potential. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery believes they're in the right hands with Warsofsky, his assistant for three seasons with South Carolina in the ECHL from 2013-16.

"I mean they're elite, talented players and I know that [Warsofsky] is going to do a good job developing them and you're going to see the talent on display," Carbery said. "Obviously, they're young players, so like any player in this league there's ups and downs that go with it. But usually, they start to find their way at this point of the year of being able to put on display those world-class talents that are the reason why they were drafted as high as they were."