How Macklin Celebrini could evolve into the NHL's best player

Macklin Celebrini is ascending to superstardom.

​Only behind red-hot Nathan MacKinnon in the NHL’s scoring race, he’s becoming a legitimate Art Ross candidate.

​Few players achieve this level of success so soon.

​Connor Bedard, the player trailing Celebrini in the scoring race, went through a dip in performance in his own second season in the league. Lacking the speed to escape defensive structures tightening around him, Bedard's best offensive tools were muted.

Celebrini is having no such sophomore slump. Instead, he's taking steps as a goal-scorer, a year earlier than his counterpart.

​As for the player immediately ahead of him, MacKinnon, it took him years to score at his top-of-the-leaderboard rate. At 19 years old, Celebrini is boasting comparable rush-scoring abilities. Chaining crossover