What Makes Collin Graf a Good Complement For Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith?
While Macklin Celebrini’s record-breaking sophomore season and Will Smith’s growth received the majority of the attention around the San Jose Sharks this season, Collin Graf quietly showed his value on their wing and on the penalty kill. Graf, an undrafted forward out of Quinnipiac University, isn’t the most flashy player, nor is he going to compete for a Rocket Richard Trophy or even a Selke. He does his job, and he does it effectively.
It’s not easy to play alongside one of the NHL’s best, yet he’s been able to do it with little issue despite very little NHL experience. Graf just completed his first full season at the NHL level, and he showed that he’s here to stay. The 23-year-old winger played 81 games for the Sharks this season, scoring 21 goals and 46 points.
While he didn’t spend the entire season alongside Smith and Celebrini, it was the most common combination for each individual player. Graf spent 24. 2% of his total even-strength ice time alongside the Sharks’ dynamic duo.
It seemed like no matter how many times Ryan Warsofsky tried to change things up, sooner or later Graf found his way back to the first line. Although Graf is far from a conventional first-line winger, his game complements Smith and Celebrini very well. Much like how Chris Kunitz was a mainstay alongside Sidney Crosby in the early-to-mid 2010s, Graf’s skill set creates opportunities for those around him.
“[Graf is] just so smart. The way he thinks the game, and he always has his head up looking for plays,” Celebrini said when asked why they work so well together. “That's something that me and Will like to do [as well].