“The Silver Shield” is a column by Kasey Kazliner about the National Hockey League.
The race for the No. 1 pick
Last season, the ultimate prospect and consensus No. 1 overall pick that many teams were desperate to draft was Canadian phenom Connor Bedard. While the draft lottery system doesn’t guarantee that the worst team will necessarily receive the first pick, four teams were in the running: the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks.
While the Blackhawks won the Bedard sweepstakes, and the other three teams picked up top talent themselves, all are hungry for more. This season, the same four teams are the worst in the NHL. This year’s prize is expected to be 17-year-old Boston University freshman center Macklin Celebrini, who has been extremely impressive in NCAA and World Junior Championship play.
Chicago has been a work-in-progress during Bedard’s rookie season. While Bedard has led the Blackhawks in scoring and is living up to his sky-high expectations, his team hasn’t been there to support him. With the All-Star forward breaking his jaw and being sidelined for at least six more weeks, Chicago will benefit in the race for Celebrini and won’t have trouble losing games. If the Blackhawks can draft Celebrini, they’ll be adding him to their plethora of young talent, including Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Adam Gajan and more. The tandem of Bedard and Celebrini could be generational for years to come and would truly exemplify taking a team from nothing to a contender.
The Ducks are in a strange position — they have loads of talent but can’t quite get it together. The conjunction of young phenoms with skilled veterans has been exciting, but it isn’t good enough to win yet. Twenty-year-old center Mason McTavish has been stout with 29 points, and 2023 first-round selection Leo Carlsson looks promising thus far. Adding Celebrini along with a healthy Trevor Zegras could make for an extremely bright future in Anaheim.
The Blue Jackets began moving in the right direction after selecting center Adam Fantilli No. 3 overall last year. Fantilli will continue to grow under the mentorship of veterans like Johnny Gaudreau, but picking a player like Celebrini would ease the pressure for Fantilli to be Columbus’ primary goal scorer for years to come. The Blue Jackets have had an unfortunate franchise history, so landing a player like Celebrini would be monumental in building a contender.
The Sharks chose Boston College freshman center Will Smith in last year’s draft; he is yet to debut in the NHL. San Jose has young potential in the form of William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund, but the team’s little victories have been overshadowed by two separate double-digit losing streaks and the worst record in the league. Acquiring Celebrini would not only be beneficial for San Jose’s future, but would also help the Sharks’ front office finally have a true star to be more competitive with in the present.
While almost half of the season remains, be on the lookout for the race for the No. 1 pick as a variety of teams would love to have their hands on a highly touted prospect like Celebrini.
Salt Lake City hockey?
The Smith Entertainment Group, the owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, reportedly plan to bring the NHL to Salt Lake City whether it be in the form of an expansion team or relocating an existing franchise. The ownership group has been in talks with the NHL since 2022 and is determined to bring a team to the market.
The Arizona Coyotes would be the most likely to relocate if the group chooses to inherit an existing franchise, but roadblocks still stand in the way. The Coyotes have been passionate about staying in Arizona despite a failed arena vote last year and an unclear future in the region. The franchise currently plays at Arizona State’s 4,600-seat Mullett Arena, but time is ticking for the Coyotes to get a plan together.
The NHL most recently expanded in 2021, adding the Seattle Kraken to be even at 32 teams. While the price for an expansion team would be costly, Salt Lake City also hopes to bring the 2034 Olympics to the city, so a brand-new, state-of-the-art arena could be beneficial in more ways than one.
Utah is currently home to the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, but moving to the big leagues seems to be the goal in the Beehive State.
“The Silver Shield” runs every Thursday.