Macklin Celebrini signs a contract worth $18.8 million per season

Wow.

Big news in the NHL: Macklin Celebrini has signed his (new) contract.

The young Sharks forward will earn $18.8 million per season. It's a five-year deal:

Signed, sealed, extended.

Celebrini signs his extension.

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) July 29, 2026

Keep in mind that Macklin Celebrini still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract.

His new contract will therefore begin next summer… and run through the end of the 2031–2032 season. Why didn't he sign for a longer term, you might ask?

There's a reason behind all of this…

Macklin Celebrini could have agreed to the terms of a longer contract with the Sharks.

But by signing for five years, he'll become a free agent in 2032. The Sharks probably wanted to offer him an eight-year contract, but Celebrini is giving himself the chance to cash in right now… and he'll have the opportunity to sign a MASSIVE contract in six years—when his new deal expires… and when NHL salaries are even higher.

It's a bit like what we saw with Connor Bedard in Chicago…

Connor Bedard signs a 5-year, $15M AAV MEGA deal with the Blackhawks

Bedsy locked up pic.twitter.com/uwedI7w8Kc

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 18, 2026

More details to come…