NHL Tuesday Night: McDavid vs. Celebrini, and More

Tuesday, March 17th, features a compelling slate of NHL matchups, highlighted by the highly anticipated clash between Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini. Several other games carry significant weight as teams battle for playoff positioning and individual accolades.

McDavid and Celebrini Set to Duel

For the first time since their dominant partnership at the 2024 Winter Olympics, Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini will face each other as opponents. The San Jose Sharks visit the Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; SNW, NBCSCA) in a game featuring two of the league’s brightest stars. At the Olympics, McDavid led the tournament with 13 points in six games, earning MVP honors despite Canada falling to the United States in the gold medal game. Celebrini, 19, led the Olympics with five goals and set a tournament record for scoring by a teenager.

McDavid, aiming for his sixth Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer, currently leads the league with 114 points (37 goals, 77 assists) in 68 games. Celebrini is fifth in the NHL with 95 points (35 goals, 60 assists) in 65 games and could become the first player under 20 to reach 100 points in a season since Sidney Crosby in 2006-07.

The Sharks, currently 32-27-6, are one point behind the Seattle Kraken for second place in the fourth place in the Western Conference, and five points behind Edmonton (33-26-9) for third place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers are dealing with a potential blow to their lineup, as Leon Draisaitl suffered a lower-body injury on Sunday and is likely to be unavailable.

Kaprizov and Bedard Clash in Chicago

At the United Center (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, FDSNWIX, FDSNNOX, TNT), Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild will visit the Chicago Blackhawks. Both Kaprizov and Boldy are on the verge of reaching the 40-goal mark, with both tied for first on their team with 38 goals. Both players are also on track to collect at least 90 points, which would represent a first in Wild history to have two players reach this plateau during the same season.

Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is approaching his career-best point total, leading his team with 62 points (27 goals, 35 assists) despite missing 12 games due to a shoulder injury. He is only six points shy of surpassing his total of 67 points set last season and is also aiming to score 30 goals for the first time in his career.

Schaefer Makes Toronto Debut

New York Islanders prospect Matthew Schaefer will play his first NHL game at Scotiabank Arena against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, MSGSN). The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, Schaefer ranks third among NHL rookies with 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 67 games and could become the second 18-year-old defenseman in league history to have a 50-point season, after Phil Housley in 1982-83.

The Islanders (38-24-5) are 8-3-0 in their last 11 games and are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place. The Maple Leafs (29-27-12) have collected at least one point in their last three games but will be without captain Auston Matthews for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

Kucherov Pursues McDavid in Art Ross Race

Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena (10 p.m. ET; The Spot, HBO MAX, TNT) as Kucherov attempts to close the gap on Connor McDavid in the Art Ross Trophy race. Kucherov ranks third in NHL scoring with 106 points (34 goals, 72 assists) in 61 games, five points behind McDavid and four behind Nathan MacKinnon.

Tampa Bay (40-21-4) has struggled recently with a 2-7-0 record in their last nine games. Seattle (31-26-9) is tied with the Los Angeles Kings for the second fourth place in the Western Conference and will try to sign a third consecutive victory.