Vancouver’s Macklin Celebrini is expected to be the first-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, following in the footsteps of another Vancouver star in Connor Bedard.
Macklin won’t be the first Celebrini drafted into the NHL, however, as the Vancouver Canucks took his older brother, Aiden Celebrini, with the 171st pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Celebrini is the son of former Canucks physiotherapist — and former professional soccer player — Rick Celebrini, so he’s very familiar with Rogers Arena. He’s also a right-side defenceman, making him the third right-side defenceman of the draft for the Canucks, as they clearly looked to address a weakness in their prospect pool.
The 6’1” defenceman put up 21 points in 47 games with the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL. While his point totals don’t jump off the page, Celebrini leans more heavily on the defensive side of the game.
“Celebrini was mostly used as a shutdown defenceman, a penalty killer, and a stabilizing presence at 5-on-5,” reads his scouting report from Elite Prospects. “Those are the roles he could fill at higher levels too, next with Boston University, and eventually, at the professional level if his development goes right.”
Still, a lack of points in junior hockey, particularly Junior A hockey, is rarely a good sign, as the puck skills that a player needs at the NHL level typically result in points at the junior level.
“I don’t think he’s a natural puck-mover, and whether he has enough offense for the pro game is a real question,” said The Athletic’s Corey Pronman.
That said, there are some clear positives to Celebrini’s game. He’s a plus skater, which he leverages defensively to close quickly on opponents and deny them time and space with the puck. His gap control against the rush is very good and he combines his mobility with a physical edge.
“Celebrini’s ability to read plays at a high level makes him one to watch,” said Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis. “He’s very aggressive, showing a willingness to lay out an opponent to gain access to the puck.”
That defensive game earned him a chance to play for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge, where he tallied one assist in six games. Despite the lack of points, however, he showed that he can move the puck well.
“He’s physical, pinches hard on opponents, defends well in this tournament, and he moves the puck in controlled, clever ways, for the most part: passes into space, quick one-touches, and cross-ice feeds,” said Elite Prospects’ David St-Louis in one prospect report from the tournament.
While some serious questions exist about Celebrini’s offensive upside and his ability to move the puck at the NHL level, there are some positive puck-moving tendencies in his game. He defaults towards the safe play, but he’s also able to use his mobility to beat a forechecker and hit a teammate with a stretch pass.
“Every time he was out there, Celebrini made solid plays: difficult passes around two forecheckers, through the middle of the ice, after having evaded them with a giant, separating lateral step,” said St-Louis after another game from the World Junior-A Challenge.
Celebrini’s defensive game makes him a solid bet in the sixth round for the Canucks.
“When you draft Aiden, you are going to get a very steady defenceman, who can easily make a first pass,” said Bandits assistant coach Taylor Makin. “I think Aiden is a guy that can come in and play in a shutdown role against a lot of world-class players — he proved that at World Junior-A.”
Celebrini has committed to Boston University for the 2024-25 season, so it’s unclear where he’ll be playing next season. He might be returning to the AJHL for another year or might head to Boston early to join his brother, Macklin. Once he gets to Boston, he’ll compete for ice time on the right side with fellow Canucks prospect Tom Willander, the team’s first-round pick.
