The San Jose Sharks signed star forward Macklin Celebrini to a five-year contract extension with an $18.8-million cap hit, the team announced Wednesday.
Celebrini has one year left on his entry-level contract. The new pact kicks in during the 2027-28 campaign.
He's set to become the highest-paid player in the NHL, passing Leo Carlsson, who signed for five years at $18 million earlier in July after the Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet.
Celebrini is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at 26 years old when the contract ends in 2032.
He said in mid-July, "Of course you want to put your team in the best spot possible, where you give a team the ability to make moves necessary to win," when asked if he was open to taking a discount on his next contract.
The 20-year-old exploded with 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games last season, finishing as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award. Celebrini broke Hall of Famer Joe Thornton's record for the most points in a season by a San Jose player.
His 115 points were the third most by a teenager in league history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (137) and Sidney Crosby (120). Celebrini registered 56 more points than his closest teammate - the widest gap between a team's top two scorers since 1990-91.
Celebrini featured for Canada at the Olympics and World Championship earlier this year and recently earned IIHF Male Player of the Year honors. He had 10 points in six games at the Olympics and 14 points in 10 contests at the Worlds.
San Jose drafted Celebrini with the first overall pick in 2024. He's produced 70 goals and 178 points in 152 total games over two seasons.
The Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019. They enjoyed a 34-point jump last season to finish four points out of a postseason spot after ranking last in the Western Conference during Celebrini's rookie campaign.
