What Sharks Legends of the Past Mentoring the Future Means for San Jose

San Jose Sharks beat reporter Sheng Peng broke news on September 4 that the 2024 No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini, will be living with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft and Sharks legend Joe Thornton in his rookie season.

The next day, Peng reported that the Sharks 2nd highest ranked prospect Will Smith, who was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, will be living with Mr. Shark himself Patrick Marleau in his rookie season.

The two top prospects for the Sharks are living with the two most decorated and significant players in the franchise's history.

Why aren't more people talking about this?

Sure, it's relatively common for veterans to take in younger players under their wing. They teach the younger guys how to be professionals and how to navigate stardom at an impressionable age, but have we ever seen the two most hyped prospects in the throws of a brutal rebuild living with the two best players in franchise history?

You're telling me that Macklin Celebrini can just walk downstairs from his bedroom and talk puck with one of the best playmakers in NHL history? Will Smith can finish putting the groceries in the cupboard and pick the brain of the NHL's Iron Man who surpassed Gordie Howe, a.k.a. Mr. Hockey, in games played?

What are the implications this could have for the Sharks?

Let's examine the Celebrini/Thornton pairing first. Macklin Celebrini is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory due to his full 200 foot game and his dazzling offensive skillset that seems to have no weakness. He can grind people out defensively and drive offense for a top line and the power play.

Jumbo's skillset was no secret. Thornton is 12th all time in points, and 7th in assists. He is widely regarded as one of the best pure passers in hockey history and routinely brought lesser players into the spotlight because of the opportunities he would set them up with. He fueled Jonathan Cheechoo's Rocket Richard season in 2005-06.

During the draft process, Celebrini has been compared to a couple three time Stanley Cup champions in Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby in terms of his style of play. A sturdy centerman who doesn't cheat himself, and is an elite play maker for those around him. Early on, pundits predict Celebrini will score more than Toews, but the comp is flattering nonetheless.

While Jumbo wasn't as good defensively as Crosby or Toews, he was good in the back check and he made everyone he shared the ice with better. The lessons Celebrini will be learning is how to improve his decision making with the puck on his stick, insight into the full bag of tricks that Thornton accrued during his legendary career, how to handle being "the guy" in the same market Thornton was, and how to handle adversity like a gutting playoff defeat or even losing captaincy.

The future face of the Sharks will be groomed by the former face, setting him up for unprecedented success.

Now to the Smith/Marleau house. This pairing is a little less obvious, but still makes sense and should be a rewarding experience for both Smith and the Sharks.

Marleau wasn't known for being as feisty or as big of a personality as Thornton was, but he knows what it was like to be a lottery pick for the San Jose Sharks as a teenager and will be able to give Smith insight on how to handle the pressure and adapting to a grown man's game.

Marleau was a star due to his quickness and agility with the puck, but more importantly he was tough as nails and prepared his body to withstand the NHL grind with minimal injuries. Smith will learn how to control his body, exploiting NHL defenses with his own special quickness, and how to recover from the brutal hits of the NHL from a legend who is defined by his unparalleled durability.

Not only can Marleau teach Smith how to be an NHLer who can utilize special offensive talent, he can teach him how to be a leader even at a young age. Marleau was captain of the Sharks from 2004-2009, and was an alternate for many years after. Smith will soak up wisdom from Marleau, and we will see if Smith even takes ice baths between periods, a method that Marleau believed help prevent injuries and kept him fresh in games.

Smith has the privilege for the all time leader in games played in the NHL teaching him how to stay on the ice, and how to utilize his unique talents while also being a teenager in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks. Beginning his career with this type of wisdom from the guy who lived the blueprint will benefit Smith for years to come.

This is apprenticeship not seen since Ancient Greece. The legends of Sharks past are molding the future of the Sharks into the 2.0 versions of themselves, making them good enough to get over the hump with the Stanley Cup on the other side. The Sharks are going to speed up the mental development of two teenage phenom prospects, which could ultimately give the Sharks heightened play on the ice for a longer period of time.

If you are a Sharks fan, this not only is something that will tug on your fan heart strings, but it should excite you to no end because of the wealth of knowledge your 18-year-old faces of the franchise are going to sponge up every time they go home.