The San Jose Sharks announced their roster for the 2024 Rookie Faceoff on Wednesday. As one of the most intriguing teams in the tournament given their recent record at the NHL Entry Draft, the Sharks will have a lot of eyes on them this time out. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting players to keep an eye on when the puck drops next week.
The Future Faces of San Jose
When asked who they’re most excited to see in the tournament, most fans will have one name at the top of their list: Macklin Celebrini. As the first-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, he has a spotlight on him that San Jose hasn’t seen in quite a while. He’s not going to immediately jump onto the scene and take the Sharks to the postseason, but he’s metaphorically the light at the end of the rebuild tunnel. Seeing him take the ice as a member of the Sharks for the first time in a competitive environment will certainly make the Rookie Faceoff a must-see event for hockey fans.
Celebrini is far from the only top prospect participating, though. The Sharks’ other first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, Sam Dickinson, will also be participating. He’s currently expected to return to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League for the 2024-25 season, so this will be the only somewhat local opportunity for fans to see him don the teal sweater.
Will Smith, the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft who signed his entry-level contract earlier this summer, will also be in attendance. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be on the Sharks’ opening-night roster or if he’ll be starting the season with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League but his road to the NHL will start at the Rookie Faceoff. The Sharks’ other first-round pick in 2023, Quentin Musty, will also be looking to get a strong start to the season as he looks to stick with the NHL roster rather than returning to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. While a strong performance at the tournament wouldn’t give him any guarantees by any means, performing at a high level against some of the NHL’s other top prospects certainly wouldn’t hurt his chances either.
Some Familiar Faces
There are some names on the roster familiar to fans of the Barracuda, and even a few who have experience at the NHL level with the Sharks.
Between the pipes, Georgi Romanov appeared in two games for the Sharks last season but spent a majority of his time in the AHL. Shakir Mukhamadullin had a similar story, as he was very impressive in his short stint at the NHL level. Ultimately though, he only played three games and recorded a single assist. Mukhamadullin is looking to get a longer run in the NHL this season, it’s going to be difficult for him to earn early in the season considering the defensive logjam ahead of him but with his skill level it shouldn’t take long for him to get another opportunity for the team in teal.
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The only other player with NHL experience on the roster is right-winger Collin Graf, who had the longest stint of the three with seven total games. Heading into the offseason, it seemed like he’d have a strong chance of making the opening-night roster but high-end additions like Alex Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli over the summer have certainly put Graf’s spot in doubt.
The Rookie Faceoff is always an exciting time as it marks the official start to the hockey season. The Sharks are certainly going to be the center of attention with Celebrini in the lineup, but the others have quite a bit opportunity to shine as well. The puck will drop on Sept. 13 against the Utah Hockey Club, getting the Sharks’ preseason and the tournament as a whole underway.
