The San Jose Sharks will select first overall in June’s NHL entry draft after winning Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery.
The Sharks, who had an 18.5% chance to win the No. 1 overall pick, will now have the opportunity to add Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, the top-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking, to their roster after a season where they finished 32nd in the league with a 19-54-9 record.
This is the first time in Sharks franchise history they will own the No. 1 overall draft pick. They have drafted second overall three times and not since 1997 when they chose Patrick Marleau.
Celebrini, who will turn 18 in June, was second in NCAA scoring this past season with 32 goals and third overall with 64 points in 38 games for the Terriers. He won Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year. The Vancouver native topped his year off by becoming the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s player.
While Celebrini, who played for the San Jose Junior Sharks as a 14-year-old in 2019-20, now has a new fan base in San Jose, he’s had the support of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors for years. His father, Rick, has been the team’s vice president of player health and performance since 2018. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, in January 2023, while the younger Celebrini was playing junior hockey in Chicago, members of the Warriors, including Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr, spent an off night watching the highly-touted prospect play.
“How often do you get an opportunity to see Sidney Crosby at 17?” Green said.
The 2024 NHL draft will take place at Sphere in Las Vegas June 28-29.
2024 NHL Draft order
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah (formerly Arizona Coyotes)
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. San Jose Sharks (via Pittsburgh Penguins)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
2024 NHL top prospects
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Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)
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Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)
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Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)
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Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)
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Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)
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Ivan Demidov, F, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL-MHL)
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Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights (OHL)
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Cole Eiserman, LW, USA U18 (NTDP)
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Anton Silayev, D, Novgorod (KHL)
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Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)
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Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)
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Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)
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Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)
Source Agencies
