San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini is already one of the more impressive players in the NHL. But here is how his skating sets him apart from the great players, to the echelon of phenomenal players.
In today’s NHL, the greatest strength a player can have is his skating.
Whether that’s straight line speed, agility, or their acceleration, being able to skate faster than your opponents creates separation and allows players to find time and space in a game that doesn’t provide much.
You don’t have to search far to find evidence of skating being the most vital trait. Take Connor McDavid, the best player in the NHL. He’s faster than everyone on the ice and processes the game quicker than everyone. Think of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, the Hughes brothers, and even the 2025 first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer.
On the contrary, Connor Bedard was skating at his highest level this season and looked the best he has in the NHL. Or even Auston Matthews. He’s looked a step slower than he did just a couple of seasons ago, and his goal totals reflect that.
While all those players have additional traits outside of their skating that make them superstars, their ability to skate faster and better than their opponents makes them dominant, and the same could be said for the San Jose Sharks' 19-year-old phenom, Macklin Celebrini.
When watching Celebrini, it’s hard to find any weakness. His hands are electric, as he can make any move or do anything with the puck in any position. His vision is superb, his shot is quick, heavy, and lethal, he’s physically strong, and his defensive game is quite polished for a player as young and potent offensively as Celebrini is.
But like all those players, Celebrini’s skating unlocks every facet of his game. Celebrini is unbelievably shifty, as he can push all his weight onto one leg before smoothly exploding in the opposite direction.
That might be Celebrini’s greatest strength as a skater. The 2024 first overall pick is incredible at picking up the puck off the boards and moving it into the center of the ice. This allows Celebrini to do so many things. While he uses his edge work and weight distribution to avoid the checker around the boards, Celebrini quickly accelerates into the open ice to create space for a shot or to make a tape-to-tape pass.
There are several examples of Celebrini doing this, but there’s no better example than his tying goal against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 8.
Celebrini grabs the puck at the blueline and immediately turns to face the goal. By doing so, he allows himself to see everything in front of him, and from there, his instincts kick in.
Warren Foegle tries to force him to pass the puck, but Celebrini shifts towards the boards in one motion. His next step is to split between Foegele and Quinton Byfield by shifting into the center of the ice. From there, he fires a firm and quick snapshot through the legs of Darcy Kuemper to tie the game with just over a minute remaining.
Few players rival his agility and edgework in the NHL, but he also has the straight-line speed to make him unguardable in transition.
While Celebrini posted a max skating speed that ranked in the 54th percentile (he had a max skating speed in the 88th percentile in his rookie season), he ranked in the 99th percentile in skating bursts of 18-20 miles per hour, and the 95th percentile in skating bursts of 20-22 miles per hour, according to NHL EDGE.
With the ability to strike fear in defenders that he can burn them to the outside with his speed, it opens up the opportunity to use his edgework to cut into the center of the ice.
While his skating truly unlocks his offensive game, his balanced skillset makes him so effective.
Let’s look at his shooting. Celebrini possesses a lethal one-timer, highlighted by his 77th percentile hardest shot and his 87th percentile of average shot speed.
His one-timer allows him to be dangerous off the puck. But with the puck, Celebrini uses his wrist shot to score. His release is lightning-quick, accurate, and heavy, but he can move the puck closer or farther from his body to change the angle, avoid defenders, and manipulate goaltenders.
Additionally, Celebrini has numerous examples of receiving the puck in traffic in the slot, making one touch before finding the back of the net.
We touched on how his deft hands allow him to avoid checkers, but he also uses them when passing. Whether it’s saucer passes, area passes, or slip passes through skates and stick, everything Celebrini does is in hopes of moving the puck into the middle of the ice.
Celebrini possesses the puck protection skills and edgework that Sidney Crosby has used to be so successful, along with exceptional skating and shooting.
At just 19 years old, Celebrini already has a 45-goal, 115-point season under his belt. That almost feels like it’s going to be the baseline of a healthy season for Celebrini, who will likely go on to win multiple Hart and Art Ross Trophies.
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