Sharks' Macklin Celebrini becomes NHL's highest-paid player with 5-year, $94M extension - Yahoo Sports

What the report says

Yahoo Sports reported that the San Jose Sharks have agreed to a five-year, $94 million contract extension with center Macklin Celebrini, a deal announced by the team Wednesday. The extension is set to begin in the 2027-28 NHL season and carries an average annual value of $18.8 million, which Yahoo said would make Celebrini the league’s highest-paid player by salary-cap hit at that point.

The figure would move Celebrini ahead of Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, whose five-year deal averages $18 million per season after Anaheim matched an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month. Sharks general manager Mike Grier, in the team’s announcement, described Celebrini as a central part of San Jose’s future and said the organization is trying to build a roster capable of sustained Stanley Cup contention.

Citing PuckPedia, Yahoo reported that the contract is structured with low base salaries and large signing bonuses: $950,000 in salary in each of the first two years, paired with $19.85 million bonuses, followed by $1 million salaries and bonuses of $19.8 million, $16.1 million and $13.5 million over the final three seasons. The report said a no-move clause begins in the fifth year, and the agreement buys out one potential year of unrestricted free agency, with Celebrini able to reach the market in 2032 at age 26.

Celebrini, 20, is entering his third NHL season after a 2025-26 campaign in which Yahoo said he posted career highs of 45 goals and 115 points, finishing fourth in league scoring and fourth in Hart Trophy voting. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and played for Canada at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.