NHL Lessons Learned, Week 8: Return of the Mack

The San Jose Sharks watched their rookie assert himself as the top first-year player in the NHL over this past week of action.

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) reacts after scoring a goal against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Two months of the NHL season are officially in the books. The excitement of new beginnings is dissipating as the slog of the holidays and new year approach. With the eighth week of the season complete, let's take a look back at three lessons we learned.

1. The Staggering Price of Prospects

The Minnesota Wild sent a king’s ransom to the Columbus Blue Jackets for 21 year-old defender David Jiricek. The sixth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has 53 games of NHL experience, but Wild General Manager Bill Guerin felt it was a no-brainer to give up four draft picks, including a 2025 first-rounder, in order to acquire him. 

"To me, this was a no-brainer to give up a first-round pick," he said. "I mean, he is a first-round pick, and a very high one. I just don't see us drafting in that position -- hopefully we're not for some time to come. So to me, it was worth it."

2. Return of the Mack

Things looked grim briefly in San Jose when top-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini sustained a lower-body injury in the team’s opening night contest. After nearly a month away, the Sharks’ rookie took some time to adjust and find his footing, and now he’s arrived. 

Over the last week Celebrini is riding a four game point streak, posting four goals, three assists, and seven points in that span. He’s now on the heels of Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers for the lead in rookie scoring and is likely to reclaim the top spot in the coming weeks.

3. Central Division Opening Up

After the Winnipeg Jets owned the NHL and the Central Division to start the season, suddenly the Minnesota Wild are just two points behind the division leaders. Riding a three game winning streak, the Wild have the league’s leading scorer (Kirill Kaprizov) and the goaltender with the lowest goals against average (Filip Gustavsson).

The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are right behind as well and as the season progresses, the battle for the top three spots in the division is heating up. The Wild and Jets are likely to stay as the top two teams, but this division is opening up quickly.

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