The San Jose Sharks are eagerly anticipating the outcome of the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery as they hold the highest odds to secure the right to select Boston University forward, Macklin Celebrini, with the first overall pick. Celebrini, who was the projected number one pick according to NHL Central Scouting, will be present at the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, to witness the lottery event on Tuesday.

Despite being in Budapest, Hungary for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, Celebrini was sent back to North America to be present at the prestigious event. In his blog for NHL.com, he expressed his curiosity to see how the draft unfolds and his excitement to realize his NHL future.

The Sharks, who finished last in the NHL standings with a record of 19-54-9, have the highest odds of winning the lottery at 18.5 percent. General Manager Mike Grier, who played three seasons at Boston University, is familiar with Celebrini and understands the significance of the upcoming draft for their team's rebuild.

San Jose also has the potential to secure two picks in the top 16, as they possess their own selection as well as the Pittsburgh Penguins' pick (top 10 protected). However, if the Penguins' pick falls within the top 10, it will remain with Pittsburgh, and the Sharks will receive an unprotected first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft instead.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who ranked 31st in the standings with a record of 23-53-6, hold the second-best odds at 13.5 percent. The Anaheim Ducks, with a record of 27-50-5, follow closely behind with 11.5 percent odds.

Last season, the Blackhawks won the lottery and selected forward Connor Bedard with the first overall pick. Bedard expressed his excitement for Celebrini's moment and mentioned that the players are looking forward to watching the lottery unfold together.

The lottery will determine the order of the first 16 picks for teams that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the draft expected to take place at Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28. The remaining teams will be assigned picks three to sixteen based on the inverse order of the final regular-season standings.

Notably, teams participating in the lottery can only move up 10 selections if they win one of the draws. The top 11 teams in the lottery are eligible to receive the coveted first overall selection in the 2024 draft.

Besides Celebrini, other talented prospects that teams can choose from include Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State University, Zeev Buium from the University of Denver, Zayne Parekh of Saginaw in the Western Hockey League, and Cayden Lindstrom from Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League.

The NHL Draft Lottery promises to be an event filled with anticipation and excitement as teams eagerly await the results that will shape their future.