During his exit interview Saturday, Celebrini said he’s open to signing this offseason, but hasn’t put much thought into the details of what a possible deal could look like.
“The season just ended, and I haven’t really thought about anything like that,” Celebrini said. “… I’m just open to whatever happens. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it.”
Celebrini set the Sharks’ single-season record for points with 115 (45 goals, 70 assists) playing all 82 games, but San Jose missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh straight season, finishing four points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference.
San Jose had 36 wins and 86 points after finishing with NHL lows of 20 wins and 52 points last season.
Celebrini said he’s spoken with Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard about what he went through during his contract talks after his second season.
Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has yet to sign another contract and can become a restricted free agent July 1.
“Connor and I are pretty good friends,” Celebrini said. “I talked to him a little bit just about his situation. He approached it differently, and every guy’s situation is going to be a little bit different.”
With the latest NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement taking effect prior to next season, players who sign contracts with their current teams will no longer be able to sign for a maximum of eight years. After Sept. 18, the maximum would be seven.
Celebrini said he is committed to San Jose, but hasn’t thought about the length of his next contract.
In three seasons with the Sharks, he has 178 points (70 goals, 108 assists) in 152 games.
“I’m just open to every possibility,” he said. “There’s nothing really that goes into it. It goes hand in hand with me. I want to commit to this team and (be) here. I love it here.”