MACKLIN CELEBRINI SIGNS $94M EXTENSION WITH SAN JOSE SHARKS

The San Jose Sharks have signed centre Macklin Celebrini to a five-year extension worth $94 million, the team announced on Wednesday. The deal will begin in the 2027-28 season and carry an average annual value of $18.8 million, making it the highest cap hit in the National Hockey League. The agreement will surpass the $18 million per season that Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks will earn following the Ducks' recent matching of an offer sheet Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Celebrini, 20, is entering his third NHL season and finished fourth in league scoring during the 2025-26 campaign with 45 goals and 115 points. According to recorded data, the contract structure includes $950,000 base salary in the first two years plus $19.85 million signing bonuses annually, with years three through five containing $1 million base salary and declining signing bonuses. The fifth year will include a no-move clause, and the deal allows the Sharks to buy one year of unrestricted free agency, making Celebrini eligible to reach the open market as a 26-year-old in summer 2032. Celebrini was the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and became the youngest player ever to represent Canada at the Olympic Games.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier stated in a written statement that the club regarded Celebrini as a "centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose" and credited the player's representatives with providing flexibility during negotiations. The Sharks indicated the extension forms part of their stated objective to construct a roster capable of competing annually for the Stanley Cup.