The San Jose Sharks are locking in Macklin Celebrini to the highest annual salary in NHL history.<\/p>\n
The Sharks and Celebrini are in agreement on a five-year, $18.8 million AAV extension, the team announced on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
Celebrini, 20, was previously set to enter the 2026-27 season on the final year of his rookie deal before hitting restricted free agency in 2027.<\/p>\n
His new extension is set to keep him in the Bay Area through the 2031-32 campaign.<\/p>\n
That will put Celebrini on track to hit unrestricted free agency ahead of his age-26 season.<\/p>\n
The Anaheim Ducks previously made Leo Carlsson the highest-paid player in the NHL after matching<\/a> an $18 million AAV offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers.<\/p>\n Celebrini signed his contract eclipsing that deal after establishing himself as one of the NHL’s top forwards in his age-19 season.<\/p>\n He tied for fourth with 45 goals and ranked fourth among all skaters with 115 points in 82 games last season.<\/p>\n That campaign made set a single-season franchise record for points while making Celebrini the first<\/a> teenager since Sidney Crosby to hit 100 points in a season.<\/p>\n Celebrini finished fourth place in Hart Trophy voting after leading the Sharks from last place in the NHL last season to within four points of a playoff spot this spring.<\/p>\n That 36-point jump in the standings was in large part thanks to Celebrini, who ranked in the 99th percentile<\/a> of NHL skaters in total distance covered as a two-way forward.<\/p>\n Locking in Celebrini on a long-term deal will be key to the Sharks’ hopes of making their first postseason run since 2019.<\/p>\n