Macklin Celebrini's rookie season is off to a great start with the San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have had a very interesting summer. It started with a win in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. That afforded them the right to select Boston University star Macklin Celebrini. The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner has all of the talent in the world. 

The Sharks also got Will Smith signed to his entry-level deal after he had one incredible freshman year with Boston College. Smith was the fourth overall pick by San Jose in the 2023 NHL Draft. 

Celebrini and Smith went from being bitter college rivals to teammates in the NHL. The rebuilding Sharks needed two cornerstone players just like these guys. 

On Friday night, the Sharks prospects played their first game against the Utah Hockey Club’s prospects. The first NHL action against real competition for these two young stars is now in the rear view and they should be proud of it. 

The San Jose Sharks need to keep Macklin Celebrini feeling good

The prospect game was a great example of how bright the future is for the Sharks. Down 2-1, Macklin Celebrini scored to even the game. With Will Smith contributing to the play, Celebrini found the back of the net with a twister wrister on the power play to get the game tied up in the third. 

Not only is Celebrini already scoring big goals in key moments, but he is also controlling a power play at a higher level. With Will Smith helping him out, this dynamic duo is explosive. 

A shot like that will help Celebrini have tons of points in his NHL career. He knows how to get it through traffic and even beat the goalie using his powerful shot. 

One thing that was noticeable from Celebrini in this one was his ability to control play in all situations, not just the power play. San Jose won 3-2 but didn’t dominate play all game other than when Celebrini was on the ice. 

Utah couldn’t get anything going when the young center was out there. If he can translate that to the regular season, after a great camp, the Sharks won’t be complete pushovers all season long. It took no time for the number one puck to make an impact and he isn’t done yet.

San Jose will have another game in this prospect showcase on Sunday afternoon against the Anaheim Ducks.