The San Jose Sharks finished the 2024-25 NHL season as the league’s weakest team, placed last with a 20-50-12 record and 52 points. That position gave them the best odds for the 2025 draft lottery, but luck did not follow.
The New York Islanders jumped up to secure the first overall pick and drafted Matthew Schaefer.
During a recent episode of “The Sheet with Jeff Marek,” analysts Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski explored a different reality. They discussed what could have happened if San Jose had won the lottery and added Schaefer to its rising young core.
The idea quickly turned into one of the most exciting “what if” scenarios.
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Wyshynski pointed out that San Jose already had a franchise pillar in Macklin Celebrini. He argued that adding Schaefer to a group featuring Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund could have created a dynamic core for the next decade.
“I will say this, they [Sharks] don’t deserve him because they have Macklin Celebrini, hold on, because they have Macklin Celebrini, and that is enough to resuscitate the franchise and point the Sharks forward for at least the next decade,” Wyshynski said. “Could you imagine Matthew Schaefer with Celebrini and Smith and Eklund and that team, my God.”
Wyshynski even compared the hypothetical duo to a modern version of Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.
“Could you find a better pick of youthful exuberance than Matthew Schaefer threading passes to Macklin Celebrini, the new Makar and MacKinnon for a new century,” Wyshynski said.
Marek agreed, saying, “Yeah, that would be amazing. That would be fantastic.”
Sharks new core and Islanders’ improved blue line
San Jose Sharks center Will Smith (2) and center Macklin Celebrini (71) at SAP Center in San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The numbers from the 2025–26 season support that excitement around both the Sharks and the Islanders.
Celebrini has produced 96 points in 69 games, placing him among the league leaders. Smith has added 47 points and grown into a strong playmaker on the top power-play unit. Together, they have already improved San Jose’s offensive output and lifted the team from its previous struggles.
Meanwhile, Schaefer has delivered a historic rookie season with the Islanders. The young defenseman has recorded 22 goals and 54 points in 73 games while logging heavy minutes. His performance has not only strengthened New York’s blue line but also changed the team’s long-term outlook.
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San Jose may not have needed Schaefer because Celebrini already gives them a franchise direction. However, the thought of pairing elite offensive talent with a record-setting defenseman remains fascinating.
Both teams benefited from the draft in different ways. The Islanders gained a cornerstone defender, while the Sharks continue to build around a superstar center. Still, this alternate scenario shows how one lottery result could have reshaped two franchises.
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