Celebrini signs 5-year, $94 million contract with Sharks - NHL.com

What the report says

NHL.com reported that Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, keeping the 20-year-old forward with the club before he could have become a restricted free agent after the coming season. The deal carries an average annual value of $18.8 million, which NHL.com said is the highest per-season salary in the league, ahead of Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson’s $18 million average.

Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is coming off a major 2025-26 season in which he set San Jose’s franchise record with 115 points, including 45 goals and 70 assists, while playing all 82 games. NHL.com reported he ranked fourth in the league in points, tied for fourth in goals and seventh in assists. In 152 NHL games, he has 178 points.

The extension is significant for a Sharks team trying to move out of a long rebuild. San Jose missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a seventh straight season, but improved to 39-35-8 after finishing with NHL lows the previous year. General manager Mike Grier said the club would have preferred the maximum eight-year term but was pleased Celebrini committed for five more years while preserving some flexibility.

NHL.com also noted Celebrini’s international profile, including helping Canada win silver at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Sharks have also been active this offseason, adding players such as Mason Marchment, Jacob Trouba, Eric Comrie and Darnell Nurse, while Grier said forward Will Smith is another young player the team would like to secure long term.