How Celebrini’s contract with Sharks compares to recent face-of-the-league deals
NHL prospect Macklin Celebrini has signed a record-breaking five-year, $94-million contract with the San Jose Sharks. The deal sets a new standard for AAV in the league, surpassing recent high-profile contracts and positioning him as a future face of the NHL.
Why it matters
This contract represents a significant shift in NHL salary structures and highlights the increasing financial valuation of young talent in professional sports.
On the heels of a banner campaign that saw Macklin Celebrini amass 45 goals and 115 points, earn Hart Trophy votes, compete at his first Olympics, and captain Canada at the world championships, the 20-year-old phenom capped it all off by making history with his San Jose Sharks.
On Wednesday, the club announced Celebrini had inked a five-year, $94-million deal that keeps him in California through 2031-32. The extension gives the Sharks talisman the highest AAV in NHL history, $18.8 million, just above the $18 million AAV recently granted to Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson courtesy of a Philadelphia Flyers’ offer-sheet gamble.
Unlike the Carlsson deal, though, in the case of Celebrini the landmark number came as no surprise. The Sharks' 2024 first-overall pick put the league on notice this past season, positioning himself as the most likely successor to Connor McDavid as the face of the NHL.
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