Authored By: Adrian Rosati

Photo: Jesse Kornblum / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks are in agreement on a deal that will see the star stay in San Jose for five more years after the upcoming campaign. The contract makes him the highest-paid NHL player on an AAV basis at $18.8M per year.

In an interview, Sharks General Manager Mike Grier noted that he was going to give him the max amount of money a single player can sign for, which is 20% — or $20.8M. Why is a deal like this available for a player who has only played two complete seasons? Celebrini is coming off a star-player-esque season, as the NHL sophomore notched 45 goals (tied for 4th) and 70 assists (7th), for 115 points (4th).

The deal is important, as both Celebrini and fellow sophomore Will Smith look to be part of a very bright future in San Jose. The term opens up a window for San Jose to become a contender in the future. While they still have $7.5M to spend in 2026–2027, the Sharks look poised to break their seven-season playoff drought this year.