Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2213b98a-844a-4592-8a16-2e525292a01d.jpeg] Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) By Luca Tersigni, The Hockey News intern For a team that has finished at the bottom of the NHL standings for the past couple of seasons, the San Jose Sharks could finally be starting to turn the corner. Who could break Ovechkin's record in the future? The Sharks’ organization has done a great job at the NHL draft in recent years, bringing in some of the game’s top prospects and constructing a strong core to build around for the future. If the Sharks’ prospects can develop into the players they’re projected to become, we could see a very scary team in San Jose in the upcoming years. Let's take a look at the members of San Jose's promising young core: MACKLIN CELEBRINI, C, 18 At only 18 years of age, Celebrini has been able to establish himself as one of the best rookies in the league this season. After being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, he's put up 24 goals and 62 points in 67 games. Celebrini’s maturity has been off the charts, and he’s proven to be an excellent playmaking pivot. Just like all teams hope for in a No. 1 overall selection, Celebrini has been able to elevate his play when the stakes are high. He also has the possibility of taking home some hardware, as he’ll likely be one of the players nominated for the Calder Trophy. Like all top draft choices, Celebrini will need to be able to handle the giant expectations placed upon him [https://thehockeynews.com/news/me8a6BxSEh0beG8imMiw?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dcelebrini%26domainName%3Dthehockeynews.com%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results], but the sky is the limit for the young center who will be a key part of San Jose’s future success. WILL SMITH, C, 20 After being drafted fourth overall in 2023 by the Sharks, Smith excelled at Boston College, finishing last season with 71 points in 41 NCAA games. Now in his rookie season with San Jose, Smith is showing signs of becoming a key player [https://thehockeynews.com/news/9loMj2vb7SJrJLCljfiL?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dsharks%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] alongside Celebrini. So far this season, Smith has been able to muster up 18 goals and 45 points in 71 games. When Smith has the puck, his creativity and vision are able to shine through, as he’s a great playmaker who helps his teammates produce. His passing ability has definitely been a strong suit thus far, and although the stats might not show it to the fullest, Smith has been a key part of the Sharks’ season and will only continue to develop in the future. YAROSLAV ASKAROV, G, 22 After trading away a first-round pick and a couple of prospects [https://thehockeynews.com/news/tempest-thn-ci02e5ba9e400024ad?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Daskarov%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results], the Sharks hope they’ve found their future starting netminder in Askarov. He has tremendous athleticism and great poise in the crease and never gives up on a play. Just like all franchise goaltenders, Askarov is able to track pucks with superior vision and has great lateral movement. After being drafted 11th overall in 2020 by the Nashville Predators, Askarov wasn’t able to get his shot at the No. 1 job for the Preds – especially with Juuse Saros’ emergence in recent seasons – but he was a key player for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, finishing with a .911 save percentage in two seasons with the club. This year, Askarov has played 13 games with the Sharks, posting a respectable 3.10 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage as he becomes familiar with the level of play in the NHL. He’s also had success in the AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl] this year, putting up a 2.37 GAA and a .926 SP in 21 games with the San Jose Barracuda. WILLIAM EKLUND, LW, 22 Thus far, this has been a list of Sharks rookies, so Eklund could be considered the veteran after having already played a full season with San Jose in 2023-24. Eklund was taken by the Sharks with the No. 7 overall pick in 2021, and he’s already proving to be a reliable offensive producer. The 5-foot-11 Swedish winger has big-time skill and hockey IQ. Eklund won't be the fastest on the ice, but he does possess fantastic edge work and elusiveness, which help him evade pressure and make plays. Even with a smaller stature, Eklund can win puck battles in tight places and execute tough plays at high speed. In his rookie season with the Sharks, Eklund put up 16 goals and 45 points in 80 games, showing bright signs for the future. This year, he’s been even better, with 17 goals and 57 points through 74 games. Eklund has shown clear signs of growth at left wing with the Sharks and should be a go-to source for offense for years to come. SAM DICKINSON, D, 18 After being drafted 11th overall by the Sharks in 2024, Dickinson has continued to develop his game with the OHL’s London Knights, and he’s showing signs of being a high-caliber NHLer for years to come. For a 6-foot-3 defenseman, Dickinson is seen as a fantastic skater with an excellent hockey IQ who is great in transition, and he’s able to fight through traffic with his size. He has also been deployed in all situations for the Knights, getting time on the power play, penalty kill and, obviously, 5-on-5 as he averages 21-22 minutes a night. At times, Dickinson tends to make poor decisions, but the good decisions outnumber the bad ones by far. This year with the Knights, Dickinson has 29 goals and 91 points in only 55 games, which is a career high for the blueliner, who finished with 70 points in 68 OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl] games last season. Dickinson has not yet seen NHL action, but if his game can translate to the next level – and that’s the expectation – then the Sharks have a good one on their hands. 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