With the first pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the San Jose Sharks have selected Macklin Celebrini from Boston University of the NCAA
About Macklin Celebrini
Macklin Celebrini has been the consensus first-overall pick for a long time now, and that dream was realized today when he was selected by the San Jose Sharks. The youngest Hobey Baker Award winner is a package of scoring, playmaking and skill capable of being a first-line center in the NHL. He controls the play every time he’s on the ice and shows a maturity and poise well beyond his years.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Live Tracker
After a dominant stint in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Chicago Steel where he put up 46 goals and 86 points as a 16-year-old, he transitioned to the NCAA with Boston University and continued to show why he’s considered an elite talent. In a league full of 20-year-olds, he blew the collegiate circuit away with 32 goals and 64 points as a freshman. He also led Team Canada at the World Juniors with four goals and eight points, even though they couldn’t secure a medal.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“While there’s no generational talent label in this year’s draft, Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini is definitely playing like one. The consensus first overall pick continues to run away with that label after he continues to tear up the NCAA as a 17-year-old freshman.
“Celebrini has been absolutely entertaining to watch ever since he recovered from shoulder surgery. This season he has 55 points in 33 games played, putting him third overall in collegiate scoring, a 1.67 point per game rate. While it’s lower than Jack Eichel’s 1.78 and Adam Fanilli’s 1.81 rate in their draft years, Celebrini isn’t that far behind these two high-end talents. When you watch him play, it’s clear why he’s destined to be selected first overall.
“Celebrini is a highly competitive, offensive and lethal catalyst every time he’s on the ice. He wants to be at the forefront and involved in every play, either leading it in transition or to just toy with defenders in the offensive zone with the moves he pulls off.”
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Sharks’ Plans
The Sharks are firmly in rebuild mode and while Celebrini alone won’t pull them from the depths of the NHL’s standings, he will provide them with a presence to build around. He will likely make his NHL debut in 2024-25, just as Connor Bedard did with the Chicago Blackhawks, and be a frontrunner for the Calder Trophy.
Celebrini will immediately become one of the Sharks’ top players and thanks to his two-way game, will play in all situations from the power play to the penalty kill. His maturity and poise have been showcased throughout his entire career. From his first game in the USHL to the NCAA, the bright lights and increased competition have not fazed him. I would expect that to continue as he enters the NHL. The Sharks have a special forward in Celebrini, and it should help accelerate their plans moving forward, as long as they get some wingers who complement his game.
