Florida Panthers' captain Aleksander Barkov praised Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini for his maturity and two-way play after their teams faced off. Celebrini, who had 35 points in 39 games, impressed Barkov with his respect for the game, playing effectively without trying to cheat for offense. Celebrini's strong performance this season positions him as a promising candidate for the Selke Trophy due to his defensive capabilities, earning admiration from coaches and players alike. Despite the Sharks' struggles, Celebrini's skill and hockey IQ have stood out among NHL rookies.
I know he's putting up a lot of points too, but it's not because of his cheating for offense. He's playing the game right way, and it was tough to play against him for sure, even offensively.
He impressed me a lot. You would not think he's 18. You see the things that all these young guys do nowadays with a lot of skill. But he played the game the right way.
Really impressed with him and his respect for the game.
Celebrini has had his share of highlight-reel plays this season as he entered Saturday's game... his two-way game, along with his hockey IQ and compete level, has also drawn praise this season.
Collection
[
|
...
]