Montreal Canadiens: Dreaming Of A Macklin Celebrini-Lane Hutson Habs Connection

If it wasn’t already crystal clear, Macklin Celebrini is the number one prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, and his brilliant start to his rookie NCAA campaign has cemented his rank.

With Lane Hutson at Boston University, the Montreal Canadiens top prospect and Celebrini have been the Terriers’ number-one duo. The Chemistry has developed almost immediately between the two, and Celebrini has provided the club with an elite forward to complement Hutson on the back end. Celebrini has had no rookie nerves, starting off his first season of college hockey on an absolute tear.

Here are some highlights from his game tonight against UMass for the second half of their back-to-back weekend games. Celebrini scored his eighth and ninth goals of the young season. He is now up to 11 points in six games. 

Below is his first tally.

He decided a one-goal game wasn’t good enough, so here’s his second tally of the night,

The ability was never in question, but if Celebrini’s strong start could be summed up in one word, it would be ‘unbelievable’. He just rushes the puck up the ice at will, and his poise with the puck on his stick is reminiscent of a professional player. Celebrini checks off all of the boxes in a player you would want on your team, and he is already 6′ and 190 lbs.

Explosive, elite processor and soft hands are three characteristics that stand out when you watch Celebrini, and his ability to shift his weight and beat opponents with his speed will only improve as he adds more muscle to his frame. It’s impressive to think that he isn’t close to his prime yet, and he already looks like he could play in the NHL.

Surely there are some other areas that will have to be ironed out in his game, which is natural for nearly all young players. But he has the tools, and competitive nature that make all of his skills translateable to the NHL level. He also thinks the game is a few steps ahead, and the way he makes decisions on the fly, reveals how he is constantly scanning and planning out his next move for when he gets the puck.

I know it’s far-fetched, and I’m sure I have touched on it, but wouldn’t it be fun to have Hutson and Celebrini in Montreal for the next 15 years? Because, yes it would. And here is a glimpse of why I believe it would be so fun to add him to the Habs top six to lead them another step toward their ascension to becoming playoff contenders.

Celebrini is the real deal, and if the Canadiens find themselves in the discussion for a chance at selecting Celebrini, they could definitely struggle during worse years than this one. He would add another elite player to the Canadiens lineup to complement Cole Caufield. It would be beautiful to have Celebrini with fellow NCAA Alumna Hutson & Caufield.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!