Who goes No. 2? Captain Celebrini? Takeaways from Grier's presser

Second place isn't bad when it comes to the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Sharks, the worst team in the NHL this past season, had the best odds to secure the No. 1 pick in Monday’s Draft Lottery. They didn’t get it, losing the first-overall selection to the New York Islanders. But they did come out with the second pick of the 2025 Draft.

So who might the Sharks select at No. 2?

San Jose general manager Mike Grier spoke after the Draft Lottery, discussing consensus No. 2 prospect Michael Misa, and other topics, like a potential contract extension for William Eklund and possibly making Macklin Celebrini the captain of the Sharks.

Here were my takeaways from Grier’s availability.

Who’s No. 2?

The Sharks clearly need to add defense to their organization, but there’s a good chance that blueliner Matthew Schaefer, the current consensus first-overall pick, won’t be available to them.

“It’s probably a little forward-heavy after Schaefer,” Grier admitted.

It’s a good problem to have, at least. Five forward prospects stand out right now, arguably led by Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa.

Misa is second on tried-and-true insider Bob McKenzie’s Top-16 Draft Lottery ranking. Speaking with 10 NHL amateur scouts, one had Misa at No. 1 (Schaefer was No. 1 otherwise), eight had Misa at No. 2, and one had him at No. 3 (behind Anton Frondell) right now.

"Talented player. Had record-breaking type year,” Grier said of the 6-foot-1 center who led the OHL with 134 points. “He plays a good 200-foot game. He’s got a heavy stick, sees the ice well, can make plays. Played in all situations. Got a knack for scoring goals.”

After Misa is 6-foot-3 winger Porter Martone, who has the size and scoring touch that Grier clearly has craved in recent years, as evidenced by spending first- or second-rounders on big scoring wingers like Quentin Musty, Igor Chernyshov, Kasper Halttunen, and Cam Lund.

TSN Draft guru Craig Button thinks that Martone would be a better fit for the Sharks than Misa.

Frondell, James Hagens, and Caleb Desnoyers are other centers of interest.

The 6-foot-2 Desnoyers and 6-foot-1 Frondell profile a little like Misa, a future two-way pivot. Desnoyers sounds like more of a playmaker, while Frondell is more of a shooter.

A 5-foot-11 Hagens was seen as a potential No. 1 to start the season and could have the most offensive potential of this bunch.

Of course, the Sharks look set up the middle of the ice for the next decade between Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

But?

"We're not at the point where we're going to draft for need," Grier said.

Like I said, it’s a good problem to have.

Being No. 2 also puts Grier in pole position for any prospect except for Schaefer. So while not likely, the pick also could be used to improve the team via trade, if another team really wants Misa or someone else.

“Definitely have an open mind to it. I always have to be open to anything that we think can make us a better hockey team and a better organization,” he said. “If there's a package out there that someone presents us with, we'll have to think it through and see if it makes sense for us to do.”

But my best initial guess, is the Sharks play it safe and just select the best player available, which appears to be Misa at the moment.

Eklund Extension?

Last week, star winger William Eklund suffered a scary-looking wrist injury in a World Championships tune-up game.

Grier confirmed a San Jose Hockey Now report that Eklund had successful surgery, and that he should be fully healthy by training camp.

“He lucked out,” Grier said, “and we lucked out that it wasn't as bad as it could have been.”

Eklund, who enjoyed a breakout 58-point campaign, is eligible for an eight-year extension this summer. His entry-level contract expires after next season.

Grier revealed that he and Eklund’s agent Todd Diamond had a positive exploratory conversation about the 22-year-old winger’s next contract last week.

However, Grier didn’t show his hand, in terms of what type of deal that he’s looking to sign with Eklund. A shorter-term bridge contract also is a distinct possibility.

“Everything's probably on the table,” Grier said. “I don't think we really know which route or which way we're going to go, but it's definitely something that's on our radar.”

This will be a litmus test for what the organization thinks of Eklund, who was drafted by another management regime. Do they see him as part of the foundation?

Captain…Celebrini?

Last month, in his end-of-season availability, Grier made a point of saying that he’s in no rush, in lieu of the end of Logan Couture’s playing career, to name a new captain. He went as far as saying that he also would be open to going through next season without a captain.

The Sharks, of course, have a captain-in-waiting in Celebrini. He’ll be just 19 going into next year, but there’s precedent for a teenager to be named captain of an NHL team.

There have been four permanent teenage captains in league history, most recently 19-year-old Connor McDavid in 2016. Gabriel Landeskog, Sidney Crosby, and Vincent Lecavalier, all 19, also have received the honor.

Grier didn’t commit either way to the idea, but it sounds like it’s trending toward not yet.

“We have a good leadership group here. That's something he can grow into as being part of that leadership group,” he said. “But he's got a lot on his plate already as an 18-year-old kid and playing and handling the things he has to do. So I'm not saying yes, I'm not saying no, but I don't know if it's the time to add something else like that to his plate.”

There’s plenty of time from now to training camp, so we’ll see. But from the beginning, the Sharks have been very conscious about forcing too much responsibility on Celebrini, and that doesn’t sound like it’s changed yet.

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