Macklin Celebrini And Artyom Levshunov Sign NHL Contracts With San Jose and Chicago
[Music] hey everybody Chris Peters here and we are talking about the top two Prospect from the 2024 NHL draft mlin celebrini and ardam levanov they have both signed their entrylevel contracts they will turn pro next season now both were drafted out of the NCAA which does allow their teams the opportunity should they need it or want it to put the players into the AHL that is not what can happen for players drafted out of the CHL now we don’t expect mlin celebrini will be spending any time with the San Jose Barracuda however artum leov very likely is going to spend some time with Rockford in the AHL as the Chicago Blackhawks prepare for his arrival so let’s talk about the decisions for both because there was some debate going into or coming out of the draft what should they do and mlin celebrini was very open about the the possibility of going back to Boston University the fact that there was always more that he could gain from going back but it was also going to be contingent on what the San Jose Sharks did in the off season and how much better they were because it’s really tough to go into your rookie season especially with a team that’s really struggling and as we saw last season the San Jose Sharks were very very bad and that’s why they got mlin celebrini in the first place so celebrini ultimately signs you also have to think about the fact that what was done in free agency bringing in Tyler to Foley bringing in some more veteran players to surround the roster you know bolstering things with the players that are already there it was going to allow the Sharks to have at least some insulation for Macklin celebrini on top of that Will Smith signed earlier in the summer their fourth overall draft pick from the year before same player you know played in college last season making the transition to Pro you’ve got two guys going through it at the same time you know you you wonder about just how they’re going to use each other to kind of lean on each other as they get through this first NHL season together but if you’re San Jose Sharks fan how excited are you that the top two prospects in your system are going to be on the opening night roster you pretty much already know it now I’m guessing the optimism will be at an all-time high would not be shocked to see that sell out for the debut of celebrity and Smith at the same time and is Macklin ready I think we saw last season in college he was ready if he wanted to go back to Boston University no one would fault him for that but it was also clear to pretty much anybody that watched him play last year that he was ready for the next step Hobie Baker winner at 17 years old he has constantly played up a level throughout his career and now he is a member of the San Jose Sharks I think he’s going to be an impact player I think he’s G to be a Hobie or not a Hobie candidate but a cder candidate he’s already got the Hobie could he win The Calder the following year and Surly is’s going to have some competition with Will Smith now the Chicago Blackhawks had a bit of a different situation because they’re drafting not a center but a defenseman in ardam levanov so levanov with defenseman you always expect them to take a little bit more time I think Chicago also learned the hard way that Kevin kinsky was probably moved up a little too soon to the NHL he did a really nice job he held his own but you know he probably could have used a little bit more time in junior but they wanted to give him that Pro experience as for artum levanov I think coming off of his rookie season with Michigan State last year it was clear that he was ready for another step as well he’s physically ready for the NHL he’s a strong player he’s about 6’2 he’s closing in 200 lb he has the frame and he also has the mentality to kind of go into that next phase and get ready for Pro Hockey also he was ready to you know put his entire focus into hockey I don’t think that the College Plan was not always the plan for him but I did hear that he was actually a very good student at Michigan State and took the schooling very seriously but obviously his goal was to be a professional hockey player now he’s able to focus on that completely the Chicago Blackhawks then get to develop him in housee and the nice thing is they don’t have to rush him into the NHL they made some signings in the off season they can let him go to Rockford they can let him get used to the Pro game and he’ll probably get called up at various points over the season but give him that time give him the opportunity to develop and then call him up when he’s ready he’s taken every step going USHL to college now College to Pro I think he’s going to be an outstanding player for the Blackhawks long term and this is a development path that they absolutely have to get right so I think that they will be patient with him and they will put their number one prospect on the path to being a number one defenseman for them down the road soon so two great college players we’re certainly going to miss seeing them in the college ranks but cannot wait to see what mlin celebrini and ardam linov do at the NHL level very very soon [Music]
Macklin Celebrini (SJS) and Artyom Levshunov, who went first and second overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, have both signed their NHL contracts. Prospect analyst Chris Peters discusses the impact of these two college players turning pro in the coming season.
#NHL #NHLDraft #SanJoseSharks #ChicagoBlackhawks
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