Leaving money on the table: Macklin Celebrini seems open to the idea

Félix Forget
Leaving money on the table: Macklin Celebrini seems open to the idea
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Over the past two years, Macklin Celebrini has proven that he is already one of the best players in the NHL. The young man, who just turned 20, has just completed a season in which he scored 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games.

No other Sharks player scored more than 59 points.

In 2026–27, Celebrini will be in the final year of his entry-level contract. But in reality, he has been eligible to sign a contract extension since last July 1… and he opened up about this in an interview with Greg Wyshynski (ESPN).

And the young player, as we understand it, is still weighing all his options regarding his next contract. He doesn't know whether he'll sign this summer or wait until next summer… but above all, he raised the idea of leaving money on the table.

He acknowledged that giving his team flexibility to bring in reinforcements is important.

Celebrini did, however, point out that it's normal for players to want to capitalize on their talent to earn a hefty paycheck, and he acknowledged that Leo Carlsson's new contract is a game-changer in the NHL. And in fact, Celebrini has the credentials to ask for more money than Carlsson.

But even if the young player doesn't seem ready to commit to anything yet, the Sharks must be pleased to see that Celebrini recognizes the value of leaving money on the table. After signing the high-priced Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba this summer, it's clear that flexibility is a major factor.

And Celebrini, who grew up watching Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon (and played alongside them at the last Olympics), could follow in their footsteps—they, too, left money on the table to help their teams acquire more talent.

So we'll see how things play out for Celebrini, who was officially announced today as the featured athlete on the cover of NHL 27. But clearly, we shouldn't be too surprised if the kid ends up signing for (a bit) less than he's worth.


In a nutshell

– Makes sense.

– Brandon Pridham reunites with Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh.

– That would be a shame.

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