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TSN scout Craig Button shares who the next Crosby & Malkin are

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James Connelly
May 30, 2024  (3:05 PM)
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Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been a dominant 1-2 punch for the past two decades and recently Craig Button shared who will be the next dominant 1-2 punch: Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith for the San Jose Sharks.

It is no secret that scouting is one of the largest components of the NHL with the best teams often being built through the draft. Whether it is Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin, Chicago with Toews and Kane, or Edmonton with McDavid and Draisaitl, teams are highly competitive when they have a dynamic duo up front.

Recently TSN scout Craig Button shared who he thought would be the next great offensive duo, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith for the San Jose Sharks.

"Evgeni Malkin was drafted in 2004 by the Pittsburgh Penguins, second overall. And Evgeni, uh, has been. He's a Hall of Fame player. He was a really top-notch player coming in. And then the next year they got Sidney Crosby. I'm not so sure that the San Jose Sharks fans, in fact, I think the San Jose Sharks fans can draw parallels to Evgeni Malkin being drafted before Sidney Crosby. Will Smith before Macklin Celebrini." - Craig Button

"Who has the most points in the NCAA this year? It was Will Smith. Will Smith is a frontline player. And now you have two players that can drive play. And quite frankly, uh, they're difference makers. They're difference-makers. So now you don't have one, you have two. And that now becomes significant, significant building blocks for what you're trying to do." - Craig Button

"Yeah, you're going to surround yourself with talent, and yes, there's some talent coming, and we're going to talk about some of those players, but at the same time, this is how you create a foundation of excellence. And I think the Sharks, like the Penguins, can draw those parallels." - Craig Button

The pair of Celebrini and Smith are two of the top talents from the NCAA this past season with Celebrini winning the Hobey Baker and Smith leading the NCAA in points. The pair will certainly be dominant for years to come for the Sharks and while neither may become Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, they will both be really good for years to come.

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