The San Jose Sharks are about to make Macklin Celebrini the highest-paid player in NHL history. And it’s not a maybe or a rumor at this point. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the team and the 20-year-old superstar have agreed in principle on a five-year extension carrying an average annual value of $18.8 million.
That would blow past the current AAV record held by Connor McDavid ($16.7 million) and make Celebrini the face of a franchise that’s been rebuilding for what feels like forever. The contract has been eligible since July 1 but the Sharks took their time. Smart move. They’re betting on a kid who just put up 115 points in 82 games during the 2025-26 season and looked like he belonged with the world’s best at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
The numbers are legit
Celebrini played for Team Canada in February and went point-per-game in the tournament. Then he captained Canada at the IIHF World Championship in May. He’s not just a regular season merchant. He shows up when the lights are brightest. The Sharks haven’t exactly been contenders during his tenure but that’s changing fast. With this extension, they’re locking in their cornerstone for the long haul.
Some folks online are already grumbling that $18.8 million is too much for a guy who hasn’t won a playoff round yet. But that kind of thinking ignores how the NHL salary cap works. The cap keeps going up. Contracts signed today will look cheap in three years. And Celebrini is the kind of player who can drag a middling team into relevance all by himself.
The Sharks have not officially confirmed the deal. But Friedman rarely leaks this stuff unless it’s basically done. Expect an announcement within the next 48 hours.
One interesting wrinkle: the extension is five years, not eight. That means Celebrini will hit unrestricted free agency at age 25. If he keeps developing the way scouts expect, he’ll get an even bigger bag next time. But for now, San Jose locks up its franchise center and buys itself a real window to build around him.
More details to come as the official signing happens.
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