Sharks ready to begin Celebrini era, take next step in rebuild

SAN JOSE -- Macklin Celebrini knows the expectations on him, not just this season but beyond.

The No. 1 pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft has been tasked with helping to turn their fortunes around, to help them get back to the Stanley Cup Playoff appearances that used to be the norm.

“You want to help grow the sport in this area and bring back some of the attention the Sharks have gotten, but honestly, I’m just looking forward to tomorrow and playing the first game,” said the 18-year-old center, who will make his regular-season debut when the Sharks host the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN360).

The Sharks haven’t qualified for the playoffs the past five seasons. Prior to that, they went to the playoffs 14 times in 15 seasons from 2003-19. They advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the only time in their history in 2016, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Celebrini had 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games last season as a freshman at Boston University. At 17, he became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, voted as the top men’s player in the NCAA. His debut has been much anticipated, and Celebrini, who missed five days at the end of training camp with a lower-body injury sustained against the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 1, said Wednesday that he feels great.

Asked if he felt more nervous or excited for Thursday, Celebrini said, “It’s pretty even.”

He leads a crop of young players who are looking to turn things around in San Jose. Forward Will Smith, the No. 4 pick by the Sharks in the 2023 Draft and Celebrini’s college rival, is also expected to make his debut Thursday. The 19-year-old set the Boston College freshman record for points (71) and assists (46) in 41 games last season and scored the fifth-most goals (25) among first-year players. He led the NCAA with an average of 1.73 points per game.

“I mean, there’s obviously pressure, but I think we also look at it as an opportunity,” Smith said. “Everyone talks about the Shark Tank and how unbelievable it was. That’s our goal, to get it back like that.”

Forward William Eklund, the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is looking to build off last season, when the 21-year-old had 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 80 games with the Sharks. Defenseman Henry Thrun, 23, is entering his second full season with San Jose after finishing with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 51 games last season. Forward Danil Gushchin, 22, who had four points (two goals, two assists) in six games with the Sharks over the past two seasons, earned a roster spot out of training camp.

Last season, the Sharks (19-54-9) finished eighth in the Pacific Division. Coach David Quinn was fired April 24, and Ryan Warsofsky, a San Jose assistant coach the past two seasons, was named Quinn’s successor June 13. At 36, Warsofsky is the youngest coach in the NHL and knows the task the Sharks face.

“We’re going to ignore the noise,” he said. “People are going to say stuff about our team and our group. We like our group in there. It’s a high-character group, they’re competitive. We’re going to take it day by day and we’ll focus like we did on our practice today.

“When the puck drops tomorrow at 7:30, we’re going to focus on that puck drop and making sure each one of us have a positive shift. If we don’t, we have to respond well and be mentally tough to continue to push forward. But I think the expectation is we have to compete a lot harder than we have the last couple of years.”

Warsofsky said Celebrini and Smith are handling the pressure of the spotlight and expectations well.

“They’re trying to find their way as well with a new group, living in a new city and all the things that go with that,” he said. “They’re both great kids, first and foremost -- ultra-competitive, self-driven. I’m sure they’re excited like everyone else is. They don’t need to be someone they’re not. Will and ‘Mack’ are both different as human beings. They have to be themselves throughout the night and throughout the season.”

The Sharks are looking to turn things around and have a new hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to reflect that: #TheFutureIsTeal. It’ll probably take some time to get back to their winning ways, but right now, the new face of their franchise is focused on the present.

“All summer, the whole long summer, training camp, it’s all led to this,” Celebrini said. “I’m excited to just play.”