Sharks select Macklin Celebrini with first overall pick

The NHL offseason is now in full swing with the 2024 NHL Draft set to begin Friday night in Las Vegas.

After winning the draft last month, the San Jose Sharks kicked off the festivities by selecting Boston University star Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick. The Sharks are in the midst of a rebuild after trading away veteran players like Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl over the past year.

Celebrini was the youngest player in college hockey last season at just 17 years old. That didn’t seem to play much of a role as Celebrini became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in Division I. The talented center had 64 points (32 goals and 32 assists) in 38 games during his first season at Boston University.

In fact, he was the only player to total 30-plus goals and 30-plus assists in Division I. His 1.7 goals per game was second-highest in Division I behind Boston College star and future Sharks teammate Will Smith.

The Blackhawks are also back near the top of the draft as they hold the second pick. Rounding out the top five are Anaheim at No. 3, Columbus at No. 4 and Montreal at No. 5.

Celebrini will certainly be the most polarizing player when discussing the 2024 NHL Draft class. However, there are plenty of other talented prospects who will likely hear their names called early on, including Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levsunov, Russian defenseman Anton Silayev, WHL center Cayden Lindstrom and Russian winger Ivan Demidov.

CBS Sports will have you covered with all the action from Las Vegas all night long.

How to watch the 2024 NHL Entry Draft

• Date:Friday June 28 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Sphere — Las Vegas
• TV: ESPN | Direct: fuboTV (try for free)

Round 1

1. San Jose Sharks – Macklin Celebrini (C, Boston University, NCAA)
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. San Jose Sharks
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Buffalo Sabers
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Washington Capitals
18. Chicago Blackhawks
19. Las Vegas Golden Knights
20. New York Islanders
21. Montreal Canadiens
22. Nashville Predators
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
24. Colorado Avalanche
25. Boston Bruins
26. Los Angeles Kings
27. Carolina Hurricanes
28. Calgary Flames
29. The Dallas Stars
30. New York Rangers
31. Anaheim Ducks
32. Philadelphia Flyers