The San Jose Sharks may not have been a Western Conference powerhouse in recent seasons, but don’t tell that to the Detroit Red Wings. For whatever reason, when the Sharks roll into Little Caesars Arena, they’ve had a knack for making life difficult for the home team.
In their last two trips to Detroit, San Jose has outscored the Wings 12-8, including a wild 6-5 overtime thriller back in December of 2023. You have to go back to January 24, 2023, to find the last time Detroit beat the Sharks on home ice-a 3-2 OT win that needed some heroics from Andrew Copp.
But this isn’t just about past matchups. The 2025-26 version of the Sharks is starting to turn heads, and a big reason why wears No. 71.
Enter Macklin Celebrini.
At just 19 years old, the top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is doing more than living up to the hype-he’s dominating. With 24 goals and 46 assists already under his belt, Celebrini’s 70 points have him sitting third in the NHL scoring race. That’s not just impressive for a rookie-it’s elite, period.
“He’s obviously the main focus,” Red Wings veteran Patrick Kane said after Thursday’s practice. “He’s the main guy offensively for that team; he’s been carrying them all year.”
And Kane’s not exaggerating. Celebrini’s 70 points are a full 38 more than San Jose’s next-highest scorer, Tyler Toffoli, who’s tallied 13 goals and 32 points.
That kind of production gap tells you everything you need to know about how central Celebrini is to the Sharks’ offense. He’s not just driving the bus-he is the bus.
Despite not being old enough to legally buy a beer in the U.S., Celebrini’s already earned a spot on Team Canada’s Olympic roster. That’s a rare honor for a teenager, and it speaks volumes about the kind of impact he’s making at the NHL level.
“He’ll definitely be the main focus of our attention defensively,” Kane added. “Making sure whoever is on the ice is aware of him.”
And the Wings will need to be sharp. When these two teams met earlier this season in San Jose, Detroit squeaked out a 3-2 shootout win.
But that was on the road. Now, back at home, the Wings are looking to flip the script and finally get the better of the Sharks in front of their own fans.
That won’t be easy, especially with San Jose currently holding down the second Wild Card spot in the West. They’re not just playing spoiler anymore-they’re in the thick of the playoff race.
Detroit, meanwhile, is trying to bounce back from a tough 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins earlier in the week. At Thursday’s practice, head coach Todd McLellan shuffled his lines again, looking for the right mix to get his team back on track.
As for Celebrini, McLellan knows exactly what kind of threat he poses.
“It’s not an easy task because the book on him isn’t real big in the NHL; he’s taken it by storm and is an incredible player,” McLellan said. “But he is starting to show some tendencies that other teams are looking at.”
That’s the chess match now-trying to find patterns in a young star’s game before he finds new ways to beat you.
“He’s definitely driving that team and creating lots of confidence,” McLellan continued. “As he elevates his play, others around him elevate their play, and they’re a tough team to play against. We’ll obviously have to be aware of him when he’s on the ice and help the players with any type of pre-scout analysis we can give them.”
Friday night’s matchup won’t just be another game-it’s a test. For Detroit, it’s a chance to reclaim home ice against a team that’s had their number. For San Jose, it’s another opportunity for their teenage phenom to show he belongs among the league’s elite.
Either way, all eyes will be on No. 71.