Sharks win No. 1 overall pick in NHL draft lottery

Field Level Media|published: Tue 7th May, 19:14 2024

Apr 11, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Boston U. forward Macklin Celebrini (71) looks on in the semifinals of the 2024 Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament during the first period against the Denver at Xcel Energy Center. credits: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks will select first in the 2024 NHL Draft when the league convenes next month in Las Vegas.

The Sharks won the draft lottery on Tuesday to receive the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history.

San Jose had the best odds to win the lottery (18.5 percent) after finishing last in the league standings this season at 19-54-9. This year's draft order in fact mirrored the ranking of teams' odds to win the lottery from No. 1 all the way down to No. 16.

The Chicago Blackhawks will pick second, the Anaheim Ducks will go third and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens round out the top five.

The Sharks will have their eyes on Boston University center Macklin Celebrini, the projected No. 1 pick in the draft class. At 17, Celebrini became the youngest winner of the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in NCAA hockey.

"It's a big moment for the organization and the fans here to be able to have the opportunity to draft someone like Macklin," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said on the ESPN broadcast. "It was a tough year for us and to have this opportunity, we couldn't be more excited."

Celebrini tallied 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games for the Terriers this past season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also confirmed that the draft will be held at Sphere Las Vegas on June 28-29. It will mark the first event televised live from the new concert venue near the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sharks also will get a second pick within the top 16. The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick goes to San Jose as part of the 2023 Erik Karlsson trade. The pick was top-10 protected for the 2024 draft, but the Penguins checked in at No. 14 in the lottery.

The full order of picks 1-16 is as follows:

1. San Jose

2. Chicago

3. Anaheim

4. Columbus

5. Montreal

6. Utah

7. Ottawa

8. Seattle

9. Calgary

10. New Jersey

11. Buffalo