The San Jose Sharks had a monumental first round at the NHL draft. Their success began at the NHL draft lottery, and they capitalized on that momentum by selecting Macklin Celebrini as the No. 1 overall pick. Celebrini, a standout player from Boston University, not only brings exceptional talent but also has deep connections to the Bay Area.
Celebrini, who recently turned 18, and fellow college hockey player Will Smith, provide the last-place Sharks with two promising players to build their team around. Celebrini, reflecting on his future, mentioned he’s still considering whether to go pro immediately or spend another season in college.
To bolster their lineup further, the Sharks chose defenseman Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick. Dickinson has the potential to develop into a top-pairing defender in the future.
Here’s a closer look at the winners and losers from the first round of the NHL draft:
Winners
Beckett Sennecke’s Reaction
The Anaheim Ducks surprised everyone by drafting Beckett Sennecke third overall, a player expected to be picked much later in the first round. Sennecke’s expression when he heard his name called was truly priceless.
Sennecke had an impressive second half with Oshawa, boosting his draft stock significantly. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek praised his versatility, stating, “When he gets physically stronger, he’s going to be a guy that can play any type of game on the ice. He can play a physical game, a skill game, and a speed game. His overall game is what excited us.”
Montreal Canadiens’ Secret Weapon
The Montreal Canadiens cleverly defused potential boos from Las Vegas fans, still sour from their 2021 playoffs upset, by bringing Celine Dion on stage to announce their pick. The Canadiens selected Ivan Demidov, and the crowd’s reaction was silenced by the pop diva’s presence.
The Philadelphia Flyers also had a special guest appearance by Philly native and legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer.
Norway
It was a historic day for Norwegian hockey. For the first time ever, two Norwegian players were picked in the first round. The Detroit Red Wings selected winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard at No. 15, and the Anaheim Ducks chose defenseman Stian Solberg at No. 23.
Steve Yzerman, Red Wings general manager, commented on Brandsegg-Nygard: “A really good two-way player and a scoring winger that obviously fills a void in our prospect pool.”
Losers
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames missed a nostalgic opportunity to draft Tij Iginla at No. 9, the son of their legendary Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. Unfortunately for Calgary fans, the Utah Hockey Club beat them to it by selecting Tij with the No. 6 pick.
No NHL Players Traded, Just Picks
Although the trade alert horn was quite active, there were no NHL player trades during the first round—only pick swaps. The Wild moved up one spot in a deal with the Flyers to select Zeev Buium. Similarly, both Utah and Chicago moved up to make additional picks, and Edmonton traded a future first-rounder to secure the 32nd overall pick.
Ryan Suter
Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter faced an unfortunate milestone, being bought out for the second time in his career. Before him, only Tony DeAngelo had experienced the same. Suter, who is still receiving payments from his previous buyout with the Minnesota Wild, will also get $1,433,333 for each of the next two seasons. Now an unrestricted free agent at 39, his future in the league is uncertain.
The Flyers also bought out forward Cam Atkinson.
