Celebrini’s Contract: “The CH may have just secured the cup”

Marc-Olivier Cook
Celebrini’s Contract: “The CH may have just secured the cup”
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

The Sharks settled an important matter this morning.

Macklin Celebrini has signed his new contract, which will pay him an average of $18.8 million per season (starting next year) through the end of the 2031–2032 season.

And looking at his deal, one thing becomes clear: the Habs are really, really well-positioned right now.

It's crazy, but Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov (combined) will earn less annually than Macklin Celebrini. Adding up Lane's and Ivan's salaries brings the total to $18 million… and both players are under contract through 2034 (Hutson) and 2035 (Demidov).

And that's not even counting players like Nick Suzuki ($7.875 million per season through 2030), Cole Caufield ($7.85 million per season through 2031), and Juraj Slafkovsky ($7.6 million per season through 2033). 

I'll say it again: the Canadiens are in a really good position right now in terms of their payroll.

And that prompts David Ettedgui to say this:

​The Canadiens may have just guaranteed themselves a Stanley Cup victory—not only because they'll have one of the most talented teams, but because they'll be unmatched in their ability to add quality players to surround their stars whenever they choose. – David Ettedgui

That's a good point.

Has the Habs just guaranteed themselves a Stanley Cup win?

The answer is no… because it's hard to go all the way. There are some very talented teams that have never won the Stanley Cup, and the Canadiens will have to work really hard to get there too.

But all things considered, we can still say that the Habs have an edge over other teams right now.

The team's best players are signed to multi-year contracts on very favorable terms, Kent Hughes has the assets needed to make a major trade if necessary… and there will be room under the salary cap to improve the roster in the coming years. 

Kent Hughes has played his cards well in recent years, and right now, he must be pleased to see the salaries being handed out in the NHL since the start of the summer.

Because, let's face it, it's really encouraging for the future…


In a Nutshell

– Impressive lineup.

– Wow!

– He's so good.

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