The San Jose Sharks will select first overall in June’s NHL Draft after winning Tuesday night’s draft lottery.
The Sharks, who had an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery and a 25.5% chance of winning the first overall pick, will now have the opportunity to add Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, the American skater best ranked in Final NHL Central Scouting Rankingsto their squad after a season in which they finished 32nd in the league with a 19-54-9 record.
This is the first time in Sharks franchise history that they will own the first overall pick in the draft. They have selected second overall three times and not since 1997, when they selected Patrick Marleau.
Celebrini, who will turn 18 in June, was second in the NCAA last season with 32 goals and third overall with 64 points in 38 games for the Terriers. He won Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards. The Vancouver native capped off his year by becoming the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award for top men’s player.
While Celebrini, who played for San Jose Junior Sharks As a 14-year-old in 2019-20, he now has a new fan base in San Jose, having 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 KaplanIn January 2023, while the younger Celebrini was playing youth hockey in Chicago, members of the Warriors, including Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr, spent a free night watching the highly touted prospect play.
“How often do you get the chance to see Sidney Crosby when he was 17?” Green said.
The 2024 NHL Draft will take place June 28-29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
NHL draft order 2024
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Black Hawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadians
6. Utah (formerly Arizona Coyotes)
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo sabers
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Wild Minnesota
14. San Jose Sharks (via Pittsburgh Penguins)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Washington Capitals
18. New York Islanders
19. Las Vegas Golden Knights
20. Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay Lightning)
21. Kings of Los Angeles
22. Nashville Predators
23. Toronto Maple Leaves
24. Montreal Canadiens (via Winnipeg Jets)
Picks 25-32 are determined after the Stanley Cup playoffs are over.
Top NHL Prospects 2024
• Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)
• Artyom Levshunov, Democrat, Michigan State (NCAA)
• Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)
• Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)
• Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)
• Ivan Demidov, F, SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL-MHL)
• Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights (OHL)
• Cole Eiserman, LW, USA U18 (NTDP)
• Anton Silayev, D, Novgorod (KHL)
• Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)
• Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)
• Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)
• Tij Iginla, center, Kelowna (WHL)