The San Jose Sharks and forward Macklin Celebrini have come to terms on a massive 5 year, $94M contract extension which will make him the league’s highest paid player.
The deal will feature an $18.8M average annual value on his extension which will kick in during the 2027-28 campaign and run through 2031-32.
“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in a statement. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”
“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,” said GM Mike Grier. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.”
“As we continue our goal of building a team capable of annually competing for the Stanley Cup, we want to thank Macklin and his representatives for a respectful negotiation process, and acknowledge the flexibility they have provided to the team in how we allocate future dollars towards the team being constructed around Macklin.”
“I also want to thank Hasso Plattner for his continued commitment and steadfast dedication to providing the financial resources to put the best team possible on the ice for our passionate fans, who deserve a winner in San Jose.”
The 20 year old forward finished 4th in the NHL with 115 points last year as San Jose improved by 19 wins in the standings but fell just shy of the playoffs. His point total was the 3rd highest mark for a teenager in NHL history trailing only Wayne Gretzky’s record of 137 back in 1979-80, and Sidney Crosby’s 120 set in 2006-07.
Celebrini led San Jose in virtually every offensive category possible last season including goals, assists, points, +/-, points per game, even strength goals & points, power play goals, power play points, overtime goals, game winning goals, and shots.
San Jose continued to overhaul its roster via the draft and free agency this offseason, and now appear poised to take a legitimate run at the postseason this fall. Grier signed veterans Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, and Mason Marchment to help add some leadership to a young Sharks core.
The club then added even more high end talent via the draft, selecting Ivar Stenberg 2nd overall, Keaton Verhoeff 9th overall, and Ryan Lin at number 21. Each a blue chip prospect in their own right, they’ll now join a tantalizing Sharks prospect group that includes Celebrini, Michael Misa, Will Smith, Igor Chernyshov, and Sam Dickinson amongst others.
Photo: Jesse Kornblum. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.