Macklin Celebrini, the 18-year-old center who was picked first in last month’s NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks, has agreed to terms on a three-year deal, the club announced Saturday.
The youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as US college hockey’s top player had been considering a return to Boston University for his sophomore season but elected to make the NHL jump.
“Macklin is not only a special player on the ice, but he’s a poised, confident and intelligent young man off of it,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said.
“His combination of skills and hockey sense is rare and we’re extremely confident that he’s ready to make the transition to being a full time NHL player.
“We could not be more excited to have Macklin locked in to formally join the Sharks organization for the 2024-25 season.”
Celebrini, a Canadian, scored 32 goals and set up 32 others in 38 games as a freshman at Boston.
The Sharks had the worst record in the NHL last season and San Jose has missed the playoffs for each of the past five seasons.
