Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
This content was machine-translated from the French version.
The San Jose Sharks sealed the future of their phenom on Wednesday by making Macklin Celebrini the highest-paid player in the NHL. At 20 years old, the 2024 first-overall pick signed a five-season extension worth $94 million, an average annual salary of $18.8 million. An amount that erases the record set a few weeks earlier by Ducks center Leo Carlsson, capped at $18 million per year.
A record check for a bold bet
General manager Mike Grier made the signing official on Wednesday, lifting the last doubts over negotiations that began at the end of the regular season.
General manager Mike Grier made the signing official on Wednesday, lifting the last doubts over negotiations that began at the end of the regular season. The contract, which will take effect after the final year of Celebrini's rookie pact, ties him to the Bay until 2031-2032. He will earn $18.8 million per season, an annual average never seen in the league.
Revealing detail: the Celebrini camp turned down an even more generous offer approaching $20.8 million annually, as reported by Yahoo Sports and ClutchPoints. The young man and his agent preferred a five-year term over a longer commitment, a choice that will allow him to test the market again at 25, in the prime of his career. A decision that says a lot about the confidence he has in his own trajectory.
A 2025-26 season that triggered everything
If the Sharks didn't hesitate to open the vault, it's because Celebrini swept away all doubts during the 2025-26 campaign. The Vancouver native compiled 115 points, shattering the franchise record for a player his age and establishing himself as one of the most complete centers in the league. His impact goes beyond the numbers: an alternate captain at just 19, he carried a team in full rebuild with a maturity that surprised even his own coach, Ryan Warsofsky.
The connection was immediate between the 2024 first-overall pick and an organization that had been searching for a face since Joe Thornton's departure and Joe Pavelski's retirement. Celebrini checks every box: offensive production, defensive responsibility, natural leadership, and a work ethic already legendary in the California locker room. His Calder Trophy, won handily, was just a formality.
San Jose builds its future around a star
This monumental check anchors the Sharks' strategy for years to come. The California franchise, which hasn't tasted playoff hockey since 2019, is betting everything on a young core built around Celebrini, Will Smith, and Quentin Musty. The salary cap is expected to keep rising in the coming seasons, making the amount less suffocating than it appears on paper.
Still, the Carlsson precedent immediately places palpable pressure on the new multimillionaire's shoulders. Every hit, every shorthanded shift will be scrutinized against this record salary. Comparisons with Connor Bedard in Chicago or Adam Fantilli in Columbus—the other 2023 first-overall pick still waiting for his own mega-deal—will surely fuel debates leading into training camp.
The NHL crosses a salary threshold
Celebrini's contract is not an isolated episode. Carlsson, Bedard, Fantilli: the new generation is blowing up salary scales at a pace that even the most seasoned general managers struggle to anticipate. The post-pandemic mega-contract era began with Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon; it's now accelerating with 20-year-olds who aren't even old enough to rent a car without a young driver surcharge.
For San Jose, the equation is clear: the price of retaining a generational talent in a secondary market comes with numbers that would have made any owner choke five years ago. The return on investment will be measured in wins, attendance at the SAP Center, and ultimately championship banners. Celebrini has the check; now it's up to him to write the rest.
