San Jose Sharks Win 2024 NHL Draft Lottery

For the first time in franchise history, the San Jose Sharks will be picking No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft, and waiting for them is one of the best draft prizes in recent memory in Boston University's Macklin Celebrini.

The Sharks became the first team in the salary cap era to fail to reach 20 wins, falling short with 19 this season.

San Jose was easily the worst team in the NHL this season and could be called the worst team of the last three years, but with all the agony in recent years, Sharks fans can celebrate knowing they will be able to pick a franchise altering talent in Celebrini.

At just 17 years old, Celebrini won the Hobey Baker Award given to the best player in collegiate hockey, where he put up 64 points in 38 games, scoring 32 goals and 32 assists. To put it simply, the kid can score and he can score a lot.

Celebrini already has ties to the Bay Area, as his father Rick is the vice president of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors. As a kid, he was apart of the Jr. Sharks, and now he will be reunited with his San Jose roots.

The Sharks still have plenty of work to do to return to annual contention with teams of the past led by Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski, but on June 28th, the San Jose will get a lot closer to being competitive when Gary Bettman kicks off the NHL Draft in the Sphere in Las Vegas by announcing Celebrini getting picked first to the team in teal.