{"id":274712,"date":"2026-04-18T21:53:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274712\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T21:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:53:08","slug":"i-want-to-commit-to-this-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274712\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I want to commit to this team\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jose Sharks<\/a> superstar forward Macklin Celebrini<\/a> is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1 and told reporters on Saturday he has every intention of working something out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to commit to this team and being here. I love it here. So, I think I\u2019m just open to whatever happens,\u201d the 19-year-old said via San Jose Hockey Now\u2019s Sheng Peng.<\/p>\n

Celebrini added that he hasn\u2019t thought much about whether he\u2019d prefer a long- or short-term deal. He also told reporters that he spoke with Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> star forward Connor Bedard<\/a> — who went No. 1 in the draft the year before Celebrini — about the process but acknowledged situations can differ from player to player or team to team. Bedard has not yet extended with the Blackhawks and is scheduled to become a restricted free agent as of July 1.<\/p>\n

Celebrini was impressive as a rookie but broke out in a big way in his sophomore season, scoring 45 goals and adding 70 assists for 115 points. Celebrini and the Sharks finished the regular season 39-35-8, narrowly missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. <\/p>\n

He finished fourth in the league in total points behind Connor McDavid<\/a> (138), Nikita Kucherov<\/a> (130) and Nathan MacKinnon<\/a> (127). His 45 goals also ranked in a four-way tie for fourth in the league behind MacKinnon (53), Cole Caufield<\/a> (51) and McDavid (48).<\/p>\n

Celebrini was selected No. 1 overall by San Jose in the 2024 NHL Draft and played last season on the second year of his three-year, entry-level deal at a cap hit of $975,000.<\/p>\n

Celebrini also told reporters on Saturday that he was undecided about attending the 2026 Men\u2019s World Hockey Championship but expects to decide in the next few days.<\/p>\n

Celebrini says he’s undecided about World Championships, will probably decide in a couple days<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n