- Matthew Schaefer is the name the league keeps landing on to top Macklin Celebrini’s $18.8M
- The Islanders defenseman cannot sign an extension until July 1, 2027
- Read below for what Schaefer said about his next contract
The next contract to move the NHL’s ceiling could belong to a defenseman.
Matthew Schaefer has one NHL season on his resume and is already the name people land on when they ask who passes Macklin Celebrini. The Sharks center signed a five-year extension worth $18.8 million per season on Wednesday, making him the highest-paid player in the league by average annual value.
Leo Carlsson set that bar earlier this month at five years and $18 million, after Anaheim matched Philadelphia’s offer sheet. Connor Bedard landed behind both at five years and $15 million in Chicago.
Bedard and Celebrini grew up together in North Vancouver and signed nearly identical five-year terms days apart, which turned the pair of deals into their own argument over which one is the better value.
Schaefer has two years left on his entry-level contract and cannot sign an extension until July 1, 2027. The ceiling will have moved again by then. Maximum individual salary is 20 percent of the upper limit, which puts it at $20.8 million for 2026-27.
His rookie year brought the Calder Trophy and a pair of records. Schaefer put up 23 goals and 36 assists, tying Brian Leetch for the most goals by a rookie defenseman and setting the mark for most points by an 18-year-old blueliner with 59.
NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy asked Schaefer about the Carlsson and Bedard contracts at the Smilezone Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the 19-year-old handed the entire subject to his agent.
“I’ll let my agent think about that. I don’t need to think about that, I’m still a kid, I’m still a year away from any of that,” Schaefer said. “I love Long Island, we have something so special going on there. I don’t care about the money. I just want to play the game of hockey and that’s what I love.”
New York missed the playoffs last season at 91 points and has two years before Schaefer’s number comes due. Every young star who signs between now and then pushes that number higher.
