Sharks take Macklin Celebrini with No. 1 pick in NHL draft to turn franchise around

LAS VEGAS — Even when everyone in the building knows who is going first overall, there is usually at least a pseudo-suspense when Gary Bettman first steps up to the microphone to announce the top pick.

Even that, however, was ruled out over six weeks ahead of time when Sharks general manager Mike Grier was asked whether Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini would be his selection after winning the lottery at the start of May.

“I would say, I would think so,” Grier said. “Yeah.”

And so there was not even a cursory sheen of nerves on Friday when franchise great Joe Thornton announced that the Sharks would, indeed, kick off the draft by taking Celebrini, who won the Hobey Baker Award last year as the top player in college hockey.

Celebrini joins a franchise whose junior team he played for as recently as 2018 when his father, Rick, joined the Golden State Warriors as director of sports medicine and performance.

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“It’s crazy,” Celebrini said on Sportsnet. “Honestly it’s surreal that life came full circle and I’m back to where I was.”

Celebrini’s ascension to No. 1 was followed by Chicago taking Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov second overall and Anaheim taking OHL forward Beckett Sennecke third.

The Blue Jackets then took WHL center Cayden Lindstrom fourth, followed by Celine Dion announcing Montreal would select Russian defenseman Ivan Demidov fifth.

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It’s not yet clear whether Celebrini, who played his freshman year of college at age 17 before becoming a legal adult a mere two weeks ago, will sign with the Sharks or return to BU for another season.

After scoring 32 goals with 32 assists in a mere 38 games, leading the Terriers to the Frozen Four, there’s an argument to be made that Celebrini outgrew college hockey before even getting to the age when most kids step on campus.

But the Sharks, in the midst of a painful rebuild, will be cognizant about ensuring that Celebrini is not exposed if he starts the year in the NHL.

At this early juncture of the offseason — San Jose has just nine forwards under contract with approximately $30.4 million of salary cap space, per CapFriendly — it’s not clear who would play alongside the left-handed center if he makes the jump.

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If he does, the Sharks would likely need to try and add more talent than they featured last season, if only to help the rookie develop as he adjusts to playing against adults.

Whether he goes to the league immediately or not, Celebrini marks a badly-needed stroke of luck for a franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2019.

He is not considered the kind of generational prospect that Connor Bedard was a year ago, but Celebrini has earned plaudits for his all-around ability and two-way play — and was the no-doubt No. 1 pick in this draft.

The Vancouver native is already used to the Bay Area, and because of his father’s job, counts the likes of Steve Nash and Ryan Kesler — Rick Celebrini also worked for the Canucks — as peers.

Now, he’ll start forging his own legacy on the south end of the Bay.

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