SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini is getting a taste of what it’s like to be in an NHL-type environment this week as he and other San Jose Sharks prospects participate in the team’s development camp.
Now, it’s a matter of whether Celebrini, who was selected first overall by the Sharks at the NHL Draft in Las Vegas last Friday, wants to return to the team’s practice facility in September and get the full experience.
Already considered NHL-ready, the 18-year-old Celebrini said Tuesday it won’t be long before he decides to sign an entry-level contract with the Sharks and turn professional or return to school for his sophomore season at Boston University.
“Yeah, that’s coming up,” Celebrini said Tuesday after the first day of Sharks development camp. “I’ll make the decision pretty quick here. (I’m) just trying to enjoy this camp, and after that, I guess it’s time to make a decision.”
It would be a surprise to see Celebrini go back to Boston.
Since the Sharks won the draft lottery in early May, Celebrini and his father, Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini, wanted to see how the organization would shore up its lineup to give the centerman, a former Jr. Shark, the best chance at success early in his NHL career.
Celebrini scores on first shot of dev camp. Commentary by Drew Remenda. pic.twitter.com/Wx5NdAXZ96
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) July 2, 2024
In that time, Sharks general manager Mike Grier has made widespread changes, signing top prospect Will Smith to an entry-level contract, bringing in a handful of veteran players last month, and signing free agent forwards Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg to multi-year deals on Monday.
Toffoli, who has scored 67 goals in the last two seasons, could be a fit alongside the playmaking Celebrini inside the Sharks’ top-six forward group. Wennberg has played middle-six minutes throughout his NHL career.
With forwards Barclay Goodrow, Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, and defenseman Jake Walman also in the fold, the Sharks feel they have a much deeper lineup than last season and can better support Celebrini and Smith.
Did Monday’s signings of Toffoli and Wennberg make Celebrini want to come to the NHL right away?
“Yeah, of course,” Celebrini said. “Those guys have been around the game for so long, and between those two, they have a lot of NHL games. So being able to learn from those guys and have them around the locker room definitely helps.”
With that decision on the horizon, Celebrini looked comfortable in his surroundings Tuesday.
In his first drill, Celebrini took a pass along the boards from Joe Thornton with Patrick Marleau right behind him. He then passed it to winger Kasper Halttunen at the faceoff dot, took the return feed, accelerated, and fired the puck between the legs of goalie Georgi Romanov from a sharp angle.
Just like that, Celebrini’s development camp was underway as he skated in a teal helmet and a Sharks practice jersey for the first time. Several Sharks’ front office members looked on, as did roughly 100 fans – much more than usual for these summer get-togethers.
“We had (Smith) last year, so kind of used to the cameras around,” said Sharks prospect defenseman Luca Cagnoni, who was drafted in the fourth round last year. “But definitely a little louder in the rink and stuff. Obviously having a generational guy like (Celebrini), it’s going to be a little louder.”
Celebrini and other prospects were put through the paces for an hour-long skate, a respite for the teenage wunderkind who had spent much of the lead-up to the draft doing countless interviews and meeting new people.
This week, Celebrini can focus squarely on hockey again as he becomes accustomed to his new environment.
“It was awesome,” Celebrini said of starting development camp. “Starting to build that relationship with some of the guys here, it was lots of fun. I feel like it’s only going to get more enjoyable as the week goes on.”
Within the first few minutes of the start of the skate, it was easy to see why Celebrini was considered to be the best player available this year. There’s an uncommon explosion to his skating, and he has a deadly accurate shot, especially close to the net.
Celebrini’s compete level was especially noticeable during drills and a team scrimmage.
“It’s hard to tell on these things. It’s a lot of teaching and slow (instruction), especially to start the session, and then we ramp it up as we go,” Barracuda coach John McCarthy said. “But we got to the game at the end, and he was super competitive on pucks. That’s what stood out to me the most.”
McCarthy said that competitiveness is “contagious.”
“Talking to some other coaches, when your best players are your hardest working players is where you’re really going succeed,” McCarthy said. “So having a guy like that, that obviously has a lot of skill, a lot of talent be as hard-working as he is, it’s impressive.”
After Tuesday’s practice, Celebrini signed autographs for a couple dozen people. He said he gave out his first autograph when he was 15 and a student at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a hockey factory of sorts with several NHL star players among its alumni.
“It’s nice to be wanted, so it’s been good,” Celebrini said. “They’re out there supporting today, and from everything I’ve heard, they are some of the best fans in the league. So I’m excited to start playing in front of them.”
Celebrini said he wants to use this week to get to know as many people as possible within the Sharks organization. Once the development camp ends, he’ll either see them again at the main training camp in two-plus months, as is expected, or at some point in 2025.
“It’s been good. It’s been fun,” Celebrini of the last few days. “It’s been a long process throughout the draft, but now it’s when the fun begins. You just get to skate, play hockey, and just have fun with the guys.”
