Much like the 2023 NHL Draft with Connor Bedard, there is a runaway candidate to be selected first overall in 2024 at Sphere in Las Vegas. When the San Jose Sharks step to the podium, pandemonium will break out if the name they call isn’t Macklin Celebrini.
A three-year player with the Shattuck St. Mary’s program that once saw the likes of Sidney Crosby pass through, Celebrini played most of his minor hockey south of the border, where his torrid scoring pace earned him plenty of attention from NCAA programs. He committed to Boston University in the 2022 off-season, just before beginning a lone season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia
Date of birth: June 13, 2006
Shoots: Left
Position: Centre
Height: 6′ 0″
Weight: 190 lbs.
Team: Boston University (NCAA)
He was already a virtual lock for the first-overall draft position before even arriving in Boston. Once there, he separated himself from any other candidates. With 64 points – 32 goals and as many assists – over 38 games, he was a key piece for a Terriers team that went all the way to the semifinals of the national tournament, falling to the eventual national champions from the University of Denver.
Those 64 points were easily good for the best on the Terriers, with Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson the closest to him at 49. “Key piece” is perhaps an understatement, as he was arguably the very best player on the roster.
Celebrini is one of those players who possesses just about every tool you can hope for. His shot is verging on, if not already, elite, and he can beat goaltenders clean at the NCAA level with relative ease. He is extremely good at changing his release angles with subtle drags to shoot around defenders, taking advantage of screens to mask a shot that is coming with excellent velocity.
The quality of his shot also belies some truly excellent playmaking skills. He has elite vision, and puts passes into high-danger areas seemingly every shift. The threat of his shot is often used as a means to manipulate defenders before he passes, giving him an ability to create passing lanes in situations where there didn’t appear to be any options. When he’s working off the half-wall in the offensive zone, there are times where it seems like nothing is happening, and with one quick move he can turn it into an A+ scoring chance.
His skills in the offensive zone are undeniable, but just as important is how he gets there. He is a transition monster, using excellent positioning and hockey sense in the defensive and neutral zones to get the puck going in the direction he wants it to. Excellent agility and quick crossovers in transition help him to back defenders off with his speed, giving him space to select the best pass or shot option once he crosses the blue line.
As he is about as complete a prospect as you’ll find in the draft, you really have to nitpick to note any weaknesses. His agility appears to be enough to make him a plus skater at the next level, but he isn’t as elite as the Nathan MacKinnons or Connor McDavids of the world. He may want to add that extra gear to truly reach his ceiling, but it would be a reach to suggest that his skating will be an impediment to him being successful in the NHL.
Perhaps the only other knock is that while he is a clear cut first overall pick, he’s not quite a generational talent. The difference with what he and Connor Bedard were able to do in their respective draft-year World Juniors was evident, for instance. But you don’t get generational players every year, and even though Celebrini doesn’t appear to be one, he has legitimate superstar potential. There also appears to be a very high floor in his case, and it would be very surprising if he doesn’t at least become a productive top-six player.
Essentially, he’s a very low-risk, very high-reward pick for a team to make at first-overall, which is absolutely where he will go later this month.
Preliminary Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #1
Elite Prospects: #1
FCHockey: #1
Hockey Prospect: #1
Hadi Kalakeche: #1
McKeen’s: #1
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #1
NHL Central Scouting: #1 (North American skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #1
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #1
Again, it would be pandemonium if the Sharks don’t make this pick. They would have to know something that every scouting service and draft pundit does not, because as of this writing, the consensus is as strong as it gets. If they didn’t like him for any reason, they could very easily take a king’s ransom to move down a few spots, because almost every other team would be happy to make the obvious selection.
For fans of the Montreal Canadiens, drafting Celebrini is unfortunately a pipe dream. San Jose is unlikely to be remotely willing to deal the pick required to select him, and if they were, the price to move there from the fifth-overall spot might be so exorbitant that it could hurt the Habs’ rebuild more than it helps. Their best chance was the lottery, which we now know they missed on by just a single number.
