The San Jose Sharks have secured their star center Macklin Celebrini to a record-breaking 5-year, $94 million extension, the team announced on Wednesday.
The deal, which becomes the highest average annual value in the NHL starting with the 2027-28 season, surpasses the $18 million that Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks will earn after the Ducks matched an offer sheet he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier praised Celebrini, saying, "In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world." Grier expressed the team's excitement in having Celebrini committed as the centerpiece of their core of talented players in San Jose.
The 20-year-old Celebrini, who is entering his third NHL season, is coming off a 2025-26 campaign that saw him finish fourth in scoring with a career-high 45 goals and 115 points. He was also the youngest NHL player to ever play for the Canadian Olympic team, where Canada lost to the United States in the gold medal game in Milan-Cortina this past February to earn silver.
As the son of the Golden State Warriors' director of sports medicine and performance, Celebrini's background in sports medicine may have contributed to his impressive performance on the ice. He finished fourth in voting this past season for the Hart Trophy, which is awarded to the league's most valuable player.
Earlier this month, Celebrini was announced as the newest cover athlete for the EA Sports video game NHL 27. The deal allows the Sharks to buy one year of unrestricted free agency for Celebrini, who could hit the market as a 26-year-old in the summer of 2032.
The Sharks' move to secure Celebrini will have a significant impact on the team's future prospects, as they continue their goal of building a team capable of annually competing for the Stanley Cup.
Source: Yahoo Sports