PRAGUE -- Will Smith has seen plenty of Macklin Celebrini over the past season, so he's qualified to speak on what his San Jose Sharks could be getting with the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28.
Smith, selected by the Sharks with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, plays for Boston College in Hockey East.
Celebrini, at 17 the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season and the youngest ever to win the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to recognize the top NCAA men's hockey player, played for Boston University.
The pair could flip from rivals to teammates after San Jose won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 8, and will have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
"We've had some matchups this year," the Sharks forward prospect said at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he represented the United States. "I think four times. We've definitely seen each other. There's a reason he's going to go No. 1. He's a pretty special player. Obviously, we had some pretty good matchups this year.
"Whenever you're on the ice with another player like that you have to keep your eye on him. We were on the ice quite a few times, some shifts together. Definitely we were keeping our eye on each other."
The Sharks, who entered the lottery with an 18.5 percent chance of winning, will select No. 1 for the first time. They've selected second on three occasions, picking Pat Falloon in 1991, Andrei Zyuzin in 1996 and Patrick Marleau in 1997.
Celebrini, a forward, is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 draft, to be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with rounds 2-7 on June 29 (11:30 ET; ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1).