Macklin Celebrini missed the Calder Trophy, but since then he has supercharged the trajectory of his NHL career. After his production last season, he officially kicked off the San Jose Sharks’ resurgence, and now his record-breaking contract is well on its way to influencing every NHL franchise’s future.
The landmark extension has reshaped discussions around elite young talent and how much salary they could command as a restricted free agent, considering the NHL market is shifting so rapidly.
As teams gradually realize a changing financial landscape, one Stanley Cup champion believes another general manager deserves far more credit than he’s receiving.
Erik Johnson Credits Flyers GM for Macklin Celebrini’s $94M Deal
Celebrini raised the bar across the NHL by signing a record-breaking five-year, $94 million extension with the San Jose Sharks, carrying an unprecedented $18.8 million average annual value. The deal keeps the franchise cornerstone in San Jose through the 2031-32 season and will make him the highest-paid player in NHL history (AAV-wise) next year.
Yet for former NHL defenseman Erik Johnson, the contract represented the latest consequence of a much bigger shift that began weeks earlier.
Johnson took to X to praise Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Brière for dramatically changing the market with his aggressive offer sheet to Leo Carlsson earlier in the summer.
He wrote, “Every player and agent in the NHL should really send NHL Flyers GM Danny B a real nice Christmas present. Every year. Forever. Other GMs and owners… probably not thrilled. This truly is the golden age of the NHL. What a league.”
His point centered on Brière’s bold pursuit of Carlsson, whose five-year, $90 million offer sheet briefly established a new salary benchmark before Celebrini left it in the dust.
This aggressive approach forced teams across the league to reconsider how quickly elite young stars could command top-of-the-market contracts.
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard signed a $15 million AAV contract with the same five-year term and is currently the second-highest-paid player in the league, behind Carlsson.
San Jose responded by locking up Celebrini before a Carlsson-like scenario could emerge. Although he was eligible to seek the maximum allowable contract under league rules, the 20-year-old center agreed to a lower cap hit.
The extension leaves roughly $2 million in annual flexibility for the Sharks, giving general manager Mike Grier additional room to strengthen the roster in future seasons.
Celebrini also emphasized that his commitment extended beyond financial terms. In the team’s official statement, he said, “I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today. The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here.”
He continued, “My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”
The timing also benefits San Jose’s broader roster construction.
Because the extension does not begin until the 2027-28 season, Celebrini will still play the upcoming campaign under the final year of his entry-level contract, allowing the Sharks to maintain more than $7.5 million in projected cap space entering the season.
This flexibility is particularly valuable considering the organization is already carrying significant financial commitments through injured reserve, buyout penalties, and retained salaries.
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Even with those obligations, Grier has assembled a deeper roster after adding veterans Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, and Mason Marchment to support the franchise’s emerging core.
