On Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, securing the No. 1 pick for the draft.
Securing the top overall pick, the Sharks will likely add Boston University star Macklin Celebrini as a pivotal franchise asset.
The Chicago Blackhawks, having chosen center Connor Bedard with last year’s top pick, now retain the No. 2 selection. Selecting third are the Anaheim Ducks.
Team’s draft position now directly mirrors its regular-season finish, a correlation unseen since 2010.
Finishing 19-54-9, the Sharks held the highest lottery odds at 18.8 percent. Additionally, they had a 25.5 percent chance to pick first.
For the Sharks, it’s a first in franchise history to secure the No. 1 overall pick. San Jose has picked No. 2 overall three times. In 1997, with their selection of Patrick Marleau, was the last time the Sharks’ drafted second overall.
With the Pittsburgh Penguins not winning one of the top two, the Sharks get Pittsburgh’s first-round pick at 14th overall.
Celebrini’s elite skills as a center position him as the top player for a team indefinitely, demonstrating longevity potential.
With the Boston University Terriers, Celebrini finished the season with 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games.
Celebrini was given the Hobey Baker Award for nation’s most outstanding player. Averaging 1.64 points per game, the forward was the fourth freshman to ever earn the award. He joins the list with Adam Fantilli (2023), Jack Eichel (2015), and Paul Kariya (1993).
The young centerman also played for Canada U20 World Juniors, earning four goals and four assists in five games. A Vancouver native, Celebrini also spent time with the San Jose Junior Sharks in 2019-20 on the 14U AAA team.
The 17-year-old Celebrini has Bay Area connections preceding his arrival to Team Teal. His father, Rick Celebrini, is the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Golden State Warriors.
Mike Grier, Sharks general manager, was also once a standout at Boston University.
The 2024 NHL Draft will be held at The Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29.
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Featured image courtesy of San Jose Sharks on NHL.com
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