Montreal Canadiens Need Macklin Celebrini

When the Montreal Canadiens drafted David Reinbacher with the 2023 fifth overall selection, some felt they missed out on a pure offensive dynamo in Matvei Michkov.

The Habs have methodically put some pillars in place to lay the foundation for the rebuild. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle and it appears as though Lane Hutson, Joshua Roy and David Reinbacher will be huge pieces. Logan Mailloux and Justin Barron look like some solid pieces as well.

But the Canadiens lack a superstar. Caufield is pushing towards that level but will need to find more consistency to achieve that level. Michkov looked to be a pure goal scoring talent, whose game-breaking skills make him a fair bet to be a perennial 50-goal scorer in the NHL one day.

Reinbacher looks like an excellent option for the top four, and there’s room for him to become a top pair staple, but in the 2024 Draft, there is one player who could elevate the Canadiens offensive attack to where it needs to be.

Macklin Celebrini, The Habs Missing Puzzle Piece

Lane Hutson has some familiarity with the number-one ranked prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, set for June. Macklin Celebrini and Hutson have been quite the duo for Boston University. Hutson and Celebrini immediately became the catalysts for the Terriers’ offense, and the 17-year-old, despite being a rookie has been as good as advertised.

While he isn’t a pure goalscorer, he does not lack the ability to put the puck in the net. But his ability to create plays, using head fakes and smooth stick work is the foundation of his offensive attack.

Paired with dynamic skating and legitimate separation speed, Celebrini is a game-breaker, and at 17, he has had no issue adapting to playing against, bigger and stronger players, some three to five years his senior.

He is a dynamic player in every sense of the word and can finish as well as he creates. Poised with the puck on his stick, his soft hands allow him to feather saucer passes with ease, but he can make a variety of slick passes to his linemates. His vision and hockey IQ set him apart from the rest of the draft class because he processes plays at an elite level and he makes adjustments at full speed, leaving defenders in the dust.

Celebrini is a natural centre and has driven his university team’s offence at 17, so the trajectory that his talent will reach is massive. His ridiculously high ceiling, and the growth that is still ahead, both physically and on the ice, spell out a special player. Celebrini can play whichever way you want him to, and because of his speed and how intelligent he is, working on both special teams units (pp and pk) doesn’t seem out of reach.

Unless the Canadiens fall to the depths of 32nd overall to almost assuredly secure the number one overall selection, Celebrini is out of the question. But it’s easy to envision him slotting in on the powerplay, and working the puck around with the Habs’ best offensive players. Celebrini is what the Canadiens need, and Hutson already has chemistry working with the Vancouver, BC native.

We can all wish, and pray to the hockey gods. Because Mack Celebrini is a rockstar, he will likely drive the offensive for Canada and next month’s World Junior Championships. There is no doubt that he is the number one guy for the upcoming draft, and soon enough he will have us all swooning over his skills.

The Habs are still growing, maturing and working towards the next step. Adding Celebrini would certainly push the team ahead a little quicker.

With fingers crossed, socks inside and a pile of letters to Santa asking for Celebrini to join the Montreal Canadiens, I will remain hopeful, until there is zero chance of it happening, should that occur.

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