The worst kept secret in hockey was exposed on
Friday night when the SanJose Sharks selected top prospect Macklin Celebrini
with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft. Celebrini has been the consensus
number one pick for months and the Sharks used their selection to bring home
their former Junior Shark by taking him at the Sphere Las Vegas.
In
Celebrini, the Sharks get a two-way centerman who will be a centerpiece on
offense for years to come. The book on the young forward is that he’s not
exceptional in any one aspect of the game, but his combined skills make him a
bona fide #1 centerman. He’s a 200-foot centerman that will help the
Sharks as much defensively as in the offensive zone.
That’s an
area the Sharks are in dire need of improving.
Celebrini won the Hobey
Baker award this past season while leading Boston University as a freshman. The
Terriers lost in the NCAA Frozen Four semi-finals back in April, falling to
eventual champion Denver University 2-1 in overtime. Celebrini recorded 21
goals and 32 assists for the Terriers in 38 games.
San Jose then used the #11 overall pick to select
defenseman Sam Dickinson from the London Knights of the OHL. San Jose may have
made the steal of the draft by grabbing the young blueliner, who was projected
as a top 8 pick earlier this year.
The Sharks traded up on Wednesday by
sending the #14 and #42 overall picks to Buffalo in exchange for the right to
take Dickinson at 11 overall. Four defenseman were taken in the 10 picks before
Dickinson was selected.
Dickinson helped the Knights win the 2024 OHL
Championship along side Sharks 2023 draft selection Kasper Halttunen. Armed
with solid offensive skills, Dickinson recorded 18 goals and 52 assists for the
Knights in the regular season and added 4 goals and 9 assists during the
playoffs.
San Jose still holds 7 picks, including three more in the top
85 selections. They will draft first when the second round commences on
Saturday.
