Trophy Tracker: Celebrini of Sharks picked to win Calder as best rookie

To mark the halfway point of the 2024-25 regular season, NHL.com is running its third installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the best rookie in the NHL as selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Macklin Celebrini certainly hasn't looked his age, and he already has the mindset of a grizzled veteran despite just four months on the job as an NHL rookie with the San Jose Sharks.

During the Sharks' eight-game slide (0-7-1) from Dec. 14-31, the 18-year-old left-shot center expressed his disappointment, like any serious competitor would.

"It's a lot more fun to win than lose," Celebrini said. "You get a lot more energy when you start winning games. No one likes losing. No one wants to lose. Everyone hates losing. You can have a lot more fun. You can enjoy it a lot more when you win."

Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is NHL.com's favorite for the Calder Trophy given to the NHL rookie of the year at the halfway point of the season. He received 72 voting points (10 first-place votes) from a 16-person panel. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was second with 58 points (five for first place), followed by Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov (48 points). Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf was fourth (33), and Dallas Stars forward Logan Stankoven was fifth (12 points, one first-place vote).

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky appreciates the way his star teenager can speak his mind.

"For me, it's not frowned upon," Warsofsky said. "I think it's good. It's good accountability with our whole group. It's not what you say, it's how you say it a lot of times, but I think it's a good thing and we need that."

The Sharks have needed Celebrini to be at his best this season and he hasn't let them down. Among rookies he's first in goals (13) and third in points (28), and leads first-year forwards in average ice time (19:45).

"I just want to keep playing the way I'm playing," Celebrini said. "[The Calder Trophy talk] doesn't really affect anything I do."

Celebrini has become increasingly comfortable on the ice and in the locker room.

"Anytime you come into a new team, you're not going to feel comfortable right away saying stuff whenever it may be, practice, games, getting on guys," he said. "You're just not going to do that. Obviously, I've kind of got to be myself, but also look to the vets to lead us at some points. That's not going to really change who I am or how I react to things or what I say, but we also have a bunch of great vets in this locker room that can speak up and lead."

Said Warsofsky: "'Mack' is obviously getting more and more comfortable the more he plays, and that's what also makes him who he is. There's a balance to it, but I think he's been fine."

Hutson also has been equally stellar for the Canadiens. The 20-year-old defenseman was named NHL Rookie of the Month for December after finishing with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 14 games, including two separate five-game point streaks. He leads first-year players in assists (27), points (30) and average ice time (22:38). Chris Chelios is the only other rookie defenseman to get more assists or points for Montreal in a single calendar month: February 1985 (one goal, 14 assists in 12 games) and December 1984 (one goal, 13 assists in 15 games).

"I think he deserves to be in the conversation for the Calder because he's had a pretty good year so far," said his brother, Cole Hutson, a defenseman with Boston University and gold medalist for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. "Obviously it's only halfway over, so he's got to finish it off pretty strong but he's already up there in points and when you're doing that, that's pretty impressive."

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks, 72 points (10 first-place votes); Lane Hutson, 58 (five first-place votes); Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers, 48; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames, 33; Logan Stankoven, Dallas Stars, 12 (1); Maxim Tsyplakov, New York Islanders, 11; Jackson Blake, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Emil Heineman, Canadiens, 2; Jiri Kulich, Buffalo Sabres, 1

NHL.com independent correspondent Max Miller contributed to this report