San Jose Sharks select Macklin Celebrini with No. 1 overall pick in 2024 NHL Draft

The San Jose Sharks have selected left-handed center Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Celebrini, 18, racked up 32 goals and 64 points in 38 NCAA games with the Boston University Terriers during the 2023-24 season. The North Vancouver, British Columbia product also skated in five games with Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, collecting four goals and eight points.

After finishing with the worst record in the National Hockey League during the 2023-24 regular season, the Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery to earn the right to make the No. 1 pick. Celebrini — whose father, Rick, works for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors — has long been considered the clear-cut top prospect in this year’s draft.

Here’s what Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis has to say about Celebrini, who slotted in at No. 1 on his final 2024 NHL Draft rankings:

“The undisputed No. 1 prospect is as complete as it gets, putting up great numbers while still backchecking like his life depends on it. Celebrini is good in the draw, with his pure strength allowing him to win so many faceoffs even against older competition. He’ll be San Jose’s No. 1 for a while, finding ways to make himself valuable even if he isn’t producing much on the scoresheet. As a middleman, he’s better than Bedard. Skill-wise, not on par, but still quite amazing on his own. First overall picks always get significant attention and sometimes even get overhyped. With Celebrini, you can see all the translatable skills, plus how well he handled playing against older competition at only 17. Just think where he’ll be in five more years.”

The Sharks had never previously drafted first overall. Before picking Celebrini, their highest-ever draft picks were in 1991, 1996, and 1997, when they selected Pat Falloon, Andrei Zyuzin, and Patrick Marleau with No. 2 overall selections.

Before joining the Terriers for his draft year, Celebrini spent the 2022-23 season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, with whom he amassed 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games as a 16-year-old. He added six goals and 15 points in seven games with Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship.

Celebrini will join the likes of Will Smith, William Eklund, Quentin Musty, David Edstrom, Filip Bystedt, Thomas Bordeleau, and Collin Graf in the Sharks’ group of young forward prospects. After making a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, the Sharks also possess pick No. 11 in this year’s draft.

The Sharks finished with a 19-54-9 record in the 2023-24 season, giving them 47 points — enough to finish eighth in the Pacific Division and 32nd in the league.