The San Jose Sharks have won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery and will pick No. 1 overall at the draft in Las Vegas this summer. With that top overall pick, the Sharks will get a new franchise cornerstone in the form of Boston University star Macklin Celebrini.
The Sharks, who had the worst record in the league, entered the lottery with the best odds to land the top pick. The Blackhawks, who won last year's lottery and selected Connor Bedard No. 1 overall, have the second pick. And the Anaheim Ducks will select third.
This is the first time in franchise history that the Sharks have the No. 1 overall pick. San Jose has picked No. 2 overall three times, and it took Patrick Marleau at that spot in 1997. If Celebrini pans out as well as Marleau, general manager Mike Grier will be thrilled.
Celebrini just torched college hockey as a 17-year-old freshman. In 38 games with the Terriers, Celebrini totaled 32 goals and 32 assists. He also posted four goals and four assists for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships.
Before arriving in San Jose, Celebrini will have some degree of familiarity with the Bay Area. His father is the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Golden State Warriors, and Celebrini has followed the Sharks.
"Obviously, I lived there for a little bit growing up with my dad being with the Warriors," Celebrini said in an interview with ESPN. "Obviously, they're a great organization, and if I'm fortunate enough to be drafted there, I'll be very lucky."
The Sharks are undergoing a significant rebuild, and Celebrini will help usher in a new era for the team. San Jose recently fired head coach David Quinn, and the new bench boss will be tasked with developing the likes of Celebrini and the rest of the organization's top prospects.
Here's how the full lottery played out on Tuesday with mostly chalk in the top 10.
2024 NHL Draft lottery
- San Jose Sharks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- Columbus Bluejackets
- Montreal Canadiens
- Utah* (Expansion franchise)
- Ottawa Senators
- Seattle Kraken
- Calgary Flames
- New Jersey Devils
- Buffalo Sabres
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Minnesota Wild
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Detroit Red Wings
- St. Louis Blues