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The San Jose Sharks were thrilled to earn the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. That meant they were in position to draft the top prize from this year's rookie class, 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini. San Jose was glad to get Celebrini into their system and were content to wait for him to develop into an NHL player. However, they were pleasantly surprised when he decided to go professional right away.
That's right, Macklin Celebrini signed his entry-level NHL contract on Saturday. Celebrini decided to forego college and head directly into the NHL with the Sharks.
As you might expect, San Jose's front office was thrilled to hear the news. Sharks general manager Mike Grier praised Celebrini in a statement following the news.
“Macklin is not only a special player on the ice, but he is a poised, confident and intelligent young man off it,” Grier said, via ESPN's Ryan S. Clark. “His combination of skills and hockey sense is rare, and we are extremely confident that he is ready to make this transition to being a full time NHL player. We could not be more excited to have Macklin locked in formally to join the Sharks organization for the 2024-25 season.”
Celebrini was just 17 years old as a freshman at Boston University. He finished his freshman season with 32 goals and 64 points in 38 collegiate games. Celebrini led Boston in goals and points, resulting in a 28-10-2 record that put them in the national semifinal game. They ultimately lost to Denver, but the season proved that Celebrini is already a difference maker at such a young age.
Celebrini figures to be the centerpiece of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Hopefully he can accelerate their rebuild and get San Jose back to playing winning hockey.
Recapping the 2024 offseason moves by the San Jose Sharks so far
The San Jose Sharks have made several moves this offseason. They are clearly not content with the roster that finished dead last in 2023.
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San Jose started by retained a few core players like Carl Grundstrom and Ty Dellandrea. Then the real magic happened in free agency and the draft.
The Sharks added a handful of talented players, headlined by Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg. They also added Jimmy Schuldt, Lucas Carlsson, and Andrew Poturalski.
Toffoli signed a four-year deal with the Sharks and should be one of San Jose's best offensive weapons this season. The veteran winger excels at driving plays and generating opportunities for both himself and his teammates. His signing could be one reason why Macklin Celebrini decided to turn pro right away. Toffoli will certainly be able to help develop Celebrini and second-year player Will Smith as they grow into the new figureheads for San Jose hockey.
Macklin Celebrini is the headliner for a great 2024 San Jose draft class. The other players drafted by the Sharks include:
- Sam Dickinson
- Igor Chernyshov
- Leo Sahlin Wallenius
- Carson Wetsch
- Christian Kirsch
- Colton Roberts
- Nate Misskey
- Yaroslav Korostelyov
The Sharks have done an excellent job of adding key players for the future this offseason. Toffoli helps them a lot in the short-term and could help their young players like Celebrini and Smith develop.
San Jose still has a decent amount of money tied up in dead cap and buyouts, but they are certainly moving in the right direction as a franchise.
