Monday night's 5-4 loss may have seemed like another day, but it was a milestone moment for Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini. At the 13:25 mark of the first period, Celebrini launched a slap shot into the top left corner of the net for his 100th point of the season. It is the first time in his career that Celebrini recorded 100 points or more in a season. If there were any doubts about Celebrini being the biggest rising star in the NHL, they were put to rest after this goal.
While the Blues may not be happy that Celebrini's 100th point came against them, this should be a big reminder of what the goal of this season should be. They should be trying to lose these remaining nine games in order to get the best draft lottery odds possible. Try to get one of the top spots in the 2026 draft in order to get an impact player like Celebrini. Getting a player like this can get the Blues back into contention sooner than expected.
Macklin Celebrini is a reminder one player can turn a franchise around
Remember where the Sharks were when they selected Celebrini. They were coming off a 19-54-9 season in which they only got 47 points. It was one of the worst seasons we had seen in recent memory. It was also the fifth straight season the Sharks missed the playoffs and finished near the basement of their division. It looked like they would need to undergo a long rebuild to get back into contention.
But the franchise's trajectory shifted when the Sharks drafted Celebrini first overall in the 2024 draft. Just two years after drafting him, the Sharks have a record of 34-31-7 and sit just two points out of the last wild card spot in the West. Regardless of whether the Sharks make the playoffs, this season was a major success. They have outperformed expectations and should be one of the most exciting teams to watch for years to come.
Celebrini was able to speed up the rebuild process and make the Sharks competitive again. Showing that one player can improve the fortunes of a franchise. The Blues should look at this and believe that it can happen to them, too. With the amount of young talent they have, adding a superstar can reopen the window of contention. The Blues currently sit 5th in the draft lottery and are only four points back of a top-three spot. Dropping the majority of their remaining schedule can easily get them top-three odds.
There are also plenty of players who can be the "Celebrini" of the Blues. At the top of the draft are guys like Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. These are franchise-caliber forwards who, with the proper development, can become 100-point forwards. There are also a few defenseman at the top of the draft, like Keaton Verhoeff and Caleb Malhotra, who could have an impact similar to Matthew Schafer with the Islanders. Regardless, as long as the Blues have a top-five pick, their fortunes could change faster than expected.
While not every fan wants to see their team lose, that is the best thing for the Blues right now. Losing out will put the Blues in a position to get a franchise-altering player.