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North Vancouver's Celebrini says he took a discount after signing league's richest contract

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Aug 28 2026, 8:53 pm
North Vancouver's Celebrini says he took a discount after signing league's richest contract
Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images

San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini appears to be on the right path to becoming the NHL’s biggest star.

While not yet at the level of the Connor McDavids and Nathan Mackinnons of the world, Celebrini, who is just 20 years old, is already regarded as one of the best hockey players on the planet. This past season, which marked just his second in the NHL, he put up a staggering 45 goals and 115 points.

Celebrini does still have one more season remaining on his entry-level contract, though the Sharks wasted no time locking him in long term, signing him to a five-year, $94-million deal that carries an $18.8-million cap hit. Keep in mind, the highest cap hit of any NHL player heading into the 2026-27 season belongs to Leo Carlsson at $18 million.

In other words, Celebrini was compensated fairly based on what he’s already shown. That said, he still did somewhat of a favour for the Sharks, as he could have earned up to as much as $20.8 million per year.

“That was at the front of my mind throughout the whole negotiation,” Celebrini said to NHL.com’s Max Miller. “I want to make sure that with where the cap was going, that the number made sense for the team first and foremost.”

The Sharks will need all the money they can get going forward, as another bright young talent in Will Smith is entering the final season of his entry-level deal. Meanwhile, both Sam Dickinson and Michael Misa are heading into the second year of their three-year entry-level contracts.

“Making sure that everyone can get paid and that we’re in a good spot to build the way we want to build, I felt like we kind of landed on that number,” Celebrini explained. “Keeping a little bit more flexibility for everyone, and I mean it’s not really a bad thing. I’m committed to this team and this organization.”

While Celebrini certainly didn’t take a discount as eye-catching as what Connor McDavid did with the Edmonton Oilers, he also hasn’t earned anywhere close to the same amount of money. Saying he took a discount may seem crazy to some given that he’s the league’s highest-paid player, but it further emphasizes just how talented he is.

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