sportingnews
The San Jose Sharks have seen enough from Macklin Celebrini to consider him the cornerstone of their franchise, and they have backed that belief with a historic contract. The 2024 first overall pick, who posted 45 goals and 70 assists as a teenager and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting, inked a five-year, $94 million extension on Wednesday.
The deal, which begins in the 2027-28 season, carries an average annual value of $18.8 million, surpassing the previous league high of $18 million held by Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson. Celebrini's contract will consume just over 16 percent of San Jose's salary cap space.
Key Analysis
Celebrini's extension places him atop the NHL's salary hierarchy. His $18.8 million AAV leads a list that includes Leo Carlsson ($18 million), Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million), Connor Bedard ($15 million), and Leon Draisaitl ($14 million). The 20-year-old, who turned 20 on June 13, has already achieved remarkable milestones: he is the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award and the youngest Canadian to compete in an Olympics with NHL participation. Recently named the cover athlete for NHL 27, Celebrini continues to shatter age records.
Originally reported by sportingnews.