- Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million extension with the Sharks on Wednesday
- The $18.8 million cap hit makes him the highest-paid player in the NHL
- Read below for the terms, Mike Grier’s take and what Celebrini said about the deal
Macklin Celebrini is the highest-paid player in hockey.
The Sharks signed their 20-year-old center to a five-year, $94 million extension on Wednesday. The $18.8 million cap hit clears the $18 million Leo Carlsson got earlier this month, when Anaheim matched Philadelphia’s offer sheet.
None of that money arrives right away. Celebrini has one season left on the entry-level contract he signed in July 2024, so the new deal starts in 2027-28. He could have hit restricted free agency next summer.
Elliotte Friedman had the first word Wednesday morning, saying an extension was closing in without a number attached to it yet:
That became official minutes later, with Frank Seravalli posting the terms:
General manager Mike Grier used most of the team release to credit how the negotiation went.
“We want to thank Macklin and his representatives for a respectful negotiation process, and acknowledge the flexibility they have provided to the team in how we allocate future dollars towards the team being constructed around Macklin,” Grier said.
Celebrini’s own line in the release was about the group around him.
“The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here,” Celebrini said. “My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans.”
Two weeks ago he said he would take less to help the roster around him. He ended up with the biggest cap hit in league history instead, though the five-year term keeps it from turning into a decade-long anchor. It buys one unrestricted free agent year and puts him back on the market at 26 in 2032.
The production is there. Celebrini scored 45 goals and added 70 assists across all 82 games last season, and his 115 points set a Sharks single-season record. He finished fourth in league scoring and was a Ted Lindsay Award finalist.
Only Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby have scored more points in a teenage season.
He captained Canada at the World Championship in May, played to a point per game at the Milan Olympics and was voted IIHF Male Player of the Year.
San Jose missed the playoffs by four points last spring and has not been back since 2018-19. Celebrini is under contract through 2032 to end that drought.
