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Celebrini Celebration- May. 20, 2024 – Vol. 77, Issue 13 - Ryan Kennedy

Historically, it's been incredibly difficult to build a championship team in the NHL without the benefit of high draft picks. Chicago had Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Pittsburgh had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Tampa Bay had Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Heck, even with Vegas’ unorthodox path to glory, the Golden Knights had Jack Eichel (second overall to Buffalo in 2015) and Alex Pietrangelo (fourth overall to St. Louis in 2008).

Which brings us to the San Jose Sharks, a franchise that came just two wins short of the mountaintop in 2016 thanks in part to the first two picks in the 1997 draft, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

Fast-forward to today, and the Sharks are still looking for that elusive Stanley Cup championship. We know they’re not going to do it anytime soon, as new GM Mike Grier has ripped the house down to the studs, but the blueprint is there – especially since the draft lottery balls bounced in San Jose’s favor in early May.

The Sharks possess the first pick in 2024 and the right to select Macklin Celebrini, the brilliant center from Boston University. Grier has already admitted that Celebrini will most likely be their pick, and why wouldn’t he? Celebrini is far and away the best prospect in the draft class, and while there’s plenty of talent behind him, there’s also a gulf between No. 1 and everyone else.

CELEBRINI IS FAR AND AWAY THE BEST PROSPECT IN THE 2024 NHL DRAFT CLASS, AND THERE’S A GULF BETWEEN NO. 1 AND EVERYONE ELSE

Narratively, this is a pick made in content heaven. Celebrini’s dad works for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and while Macklin hails from Vancouver originally, he did play a year for the San Jose Jr. Sharks before decamping for Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota with older brother Aiden (now a Vancouver Canucks pick) to face better competition.

74 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 74 We’re just 74 days away from the San Jose Sharks kicking off their season against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Hockey-wise, taking Celebrini is perfect for the Sharks. San Jose ranked 13th overall in this year’s edition of Future Watch and featured the NHL’s third-best prospect in fellow pivot Will Smith. This season, Smith scored 71 points in 41 games as a freshman, helped his Boston College Eagles make it to the NCAA championship game and ended the year with an invite to play at the World Championship for a Team USA squad laden with NHL stars such as Brady Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield.

So, if you subscribe to the notion that championship teams are built down the middle (which I vociferously do myself), then the Sharks have a bright future ahead of them. Celebrini and Smith give them a 1-2 punch that will be formidable if both players reach the peaks we expect of them. Either one could be a stud No. 1 center.

Now, the important thing is to continue building around that base. William Eklund finished his first full NHL season as San Jose’s second-best scorer, and that’s noteworthy, even if 45 points isn’t exactly Connor McDavid territory. Thomas Bordeleau and Shakir Mukhamadullin also saw time with the big club, while Kasper Halttunen, Filip Bystedt and Quentin Musty are on the way.

Plus, the Sharks have two first-round picks in both 2024 and 2025, plus a pair of second-rounders this year.

And let’s not forget: even if Celebrini puts on a Calder Trophy-worthy performance next year, the Sharks will likely still be more like catfish in the standings, blessing them with another high selection to pick from one of next year’s top kids: James Hagens, Porter Martone, Logan Hensler and so on.

The process will take time. Any GM who has gone through a rebuild will tell you that it takes seven or eight years, not four or five. The seeds get planted, the roots take hold, and then, your new core works its way up the ladder (so, sorry Chicago fans, but it’s gonna take some time before Connor Bedard gets the Hawks back to contender status, as good as he is). But amassing those critical pieces is the only way to make it happen, even if there’s no guarantee of a championship (cough, Toronto, cough).

Celebrini brings hope, however. The Sharks are getting the perfect player with the perfect background to turn around their story. Now we just wait to see him put on the real teal for the first time in what will hopefully be a long time.

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3 Most Fascinating Additions By The Sharks This Summer The San Jose Sharks have been one of the most active teams this summer. General manager Mike Grier had a clear idea of what he wanted to do and made sure it got done. There were some notable veterans signed who can better support the young core. Overall though, Grier has been drastically improving his roster, so let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating additions by the Sharks this summer.

The Sharks Have Options With Michael Misa Ahead of 2025-26 Season We’ve already discussed how the San Jose Sharks have options, albeit limited ones, with defenseman Sam Dickinson. There’s a prospect who gives the organization even more options for where he can play next season, but it does feel as if he’s destined to be in the NHL sooner rather than later.

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