Despite the San Jose Sharks 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues, some positives remain.
View the original article to see embedded media.
1. Macklin Celebrini is the real deal
2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini displayed everything that made him the top pick for the Sharks. He scored on his first “shot” of his NHL career with a chaotic bounce off a Blues defenseman.
Later in the first period, Celebrini showed his elite hockey sense with a terrific pass to Tyler Toffoli.
Celebrini also gets his name in history next to the great Mario Lemieux.
Full list of faster goals in NHL debuts by No. 1 overall picks in NHL history (since 1963) faster than Macklin Celebrini tonight (7:01):
Mario Lemieux, 2:59 on Oct. 11, 1984
Both players scored on their first career shot on goal.
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) October 11, 2024
2. Defense will take time to reset
As Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky has said, San Jose must remove the scar tissue of recent struggles. That will take time. Defensively, the Sharks were sloppy last night.
Jake Walman and Cody Ceci were decent, but the rest of the defense left much to be desired. Warsofsky is implementing a new system on the back end, and fixing it will take much longer than one game.
3. The Future couldn’t be brighter
San Jose’s play was an exciting style of hockey, something that hasn’t been said in a few years. The infusion of Will Smith and Celerbini left fans and the organization with a sense of hope that the struggles would end soon.
Smith didn’t get on the scoresheet tonight, but he had some chances to score. In the future, he will capitalize. This team is the sixth youngest in the league, 27.1, and all signs point to the roster getting younger in the next few years.
Patience is key for the Sharks, as developing the young stars of Celebrini, Smith, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund is critical to the team’s future success.
Make sure you bookmark THN’s San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Milestone Moment: Macklin Celebrini Scores First NHL Goal In Sharks Debut
Sharks Young Stars Have Arrived; Macklin Celebrini & Will Smith Share Solo Lap, Player Introductions
Will Smith Has Officially Moved Into Sharks Legend’s House
Former Sharks Goalie Placed On Waivers
Sharks Rookies Staying Calm Ahead Of NHL Debuts
