Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice lauded rookie Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, comparing his skills and leadership to superstar Aleksander Barkov. Maurice emphasized that Celebrini has a remarkable grasp of defensive play at a young age, indicating maturity typically seen in seasoned players. He acknowledged Celebrini's ability to balance offensive creativity with responsible gameplay. Maurice believes that Celebrini's style, devoid of shortcuts, suggests a potential future captaincy, akin to Barkov's influence on the Panthers since 2018.
"We don't have anybody in our room cheating the game because Barkov doesn't. That would be difficult to try to pull off."
"[Celebrini] looks like he's got it nailed down right at his age right now. I thought he played a really smart, almost veteran game."
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