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NHL Draft Lottery: San Jose Sharks earn No. 1 pick, right to select top-ranked prospect Macklin Celebrini

The San Jose Sharks will select first overall in June's NHL entry draft after winning Tuesday night's NHL Draft Lottery.

The Sharks, who had an 18.5% chance to win the No. 1 overall pick, will now have the opportunity to add Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, the top-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking, to their roster after a season where they finished 32nd in the league with a 19-54-9 record.

This is the first time in Sharks franchise history they will own the No. 1 overall draft pick. They have drafted second overall three times and not since 1997 when they chose Patrick Marleau.

Celebrini, who will turn 18 in June, was second in NCAA scoring this past season with 32 goals and third overall with 64 points in 38 games for the Terriers. He won Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year. The Vancouver native topped his year off by becoming the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's player.

While Celebrini, who played for the San Jose Junior Sharks as a 14-year-old in 2019-20, now has a new fan base in San Jose, he's had the support of the NBA's Golden State Warriors for years. His father, Rick, has been the team's vice president of player health and performance since 2018. According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, in January 2023, while the younger Celebrini was playing junior hockey in Chicago, members of the Warriors, including Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr, spent an off night watching the highly-touted prospect play.

"​​How often do you get an opportunity to see Sidney Crosby at 17?" Green said.

The 2024 NHL draft will take place at Sphere in Las Vegas June 28-29.

2024 NHL Draft order

1. San Jose Sharks2. Chicago Blackhawks3. Anaheim Ducks4. Columbus Blue Jackets5. Montreal Canadiens6. Utah (formerly Arizona Coyotes)7. Ottawa Senators8. Seattle Kraken9. Calgary Flames10. New Jersey Devils11. Buffalo Sabres12. Philadelphia Flyers13. Minnesota Wild14. San Jose Sharks (via Pittsburgh Penguins)15. Detroit Red Wings16. St. Louis Blues17. Washington Capitals18. New York Islanders19. Vegas Golden Knights20. Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay Lightning)21. Los Angeles Kings22. Nashville Predators23. Toronto Maple Leafs24. Montreal Canadiens (via Winnipeg Jets)

The 25th through 32nd picks are determined after the Stanley Cup Playoffs end.

2024 NHL top prospects

Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)

Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)

Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)

Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)

Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

Ivan Demidov, F, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL-MHL)

Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights (OHL)

Cole Eiserman, LW, USA U18 (NTDP)

Anton Silayev, D, Novgorod (KHL)

Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)

Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)

Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)

Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)

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