Macklin Celebrini may already be thinking beyond the usual max-dollar path.
After a historic 115-point season as a 19-year-old, the San Jose Sharks star is eligible for an extension, and there’s no sign of urgency around getting it done immediately. Still, the expectation is that a deal eventually gets across the line, with both Celebrini and the team publicly happy with each other. In the meantime, he has floated the idea of leaving money on the table.
In a story from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Celebrini said he had thought about following the example of Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby, two stars who have been underpaid for much of their careers. He also explained why that kind of move appeals to him: “…you want to put your team in the best spot possible where you give a team the ability to make moves necessary to win.”
That kind of thinking would be notable anywhere, but especially after the extensions that have gone down over the past year. Kirill Kaprizov, Leo Carlsson, Bowen Byram and others have reset the market in different ways, and Celebrini would have every right to push for the top of it. Whether he does, though, will be his call.
Jonathan Marchessault is back in the rumor mill, and the Nashville Predators are once again at the center of it.
The fit hasn’t been smooth since he arrived in the 2024 offseason, following his Conn Smythe-winning run to the Stanley Cup in 2023. Nashville’s last two seasons have fallen short of expectations, and Marchessault’s production has dipped with them. He has 87 points over the last two seasons, which marks his least productive back-to-back stretch since his first two full NHL campaigns.
There are signs the Predators are still exploring the market. Alex Daugherty wrote that the team is expected to keep looking for a trade that makes sense, while Jimmy Murphy reported that Nashville is actively trying to move him. That said, the contract makes this a tough sell: Marchessault is 35, carries a $5.5 million cap hit for three more seasons, and his value has clearly trended downward.
If he stays, though, he could still matter. Nashville’s depth was one of the biggest issues with the club, and the newly built bottom six looks better on paper. The question is whether Marchessault fits back in as a middle-six scorer.
Patrik Laine is still sitting on the free agent market, and a few teams have at least kicked the tires.
His market has changed after he played just five games last season because of injury and then ended up as a healthy scratch after the Olympics and for the playoffs. That has pushed his price down, and the expectation is that he’ll need to take a low-salary deal with bonuses built in to give him a chance to earn more.
Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that the Minnesota Wild looked at Laine as a target, though they have since filled those needs with Maxim Shabanov and Blake Coleman instead. Vincent Mercogliano also said Laine could be an intriguing option for the New York Rangers, adding, “He’ll likely have to settle for a one-year, prove-it contract, which is right in New York’s wheelhouse, but Drury’s interest is unclear.”
The Rangers have already added scoring with Pavel Dorofeyev, but if they decide they still need more, Laine could be a low-risk addition in a limited role with offensive ice time.
In Other News...
Wild May Be Passing On A Safer Center Move For Bigger Swing
The center market keeps shifting in ways that could matter for Minnesota, especially with top young names around the league landing deals that reset expectations. Connor Bedards five-year extension with Chicago and Adam Fantillis ongoing negotiations in Columbus both point to a new price range for elite talent, and the Wild have been watching closely as they sort through their own options down the middle.
Minnesota has already paused other trade pursuits while it focuses on Dylan Larkin, a sign the club may be willing to swing bigger than a safer veteran fit. Even a player like Vincent Trocheck, who once looked like a logical fallback, appears to have been pushed aside as the Wild weigh whether to keep pressing on the Red Wings center or turn elsewhere if the asking price gets too steep. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Face A Jason Robertson Situation They Can't Ignore
The Minnesota Wild have spent the summer trying to keep their options open at the top of the roster, and that has meant looking hard at names that could change the middle of the ice. Dylan Larkin was the big target, but the path there has only gotten more complicated as Detroits leadership picture has shifted, leaving Minnesota to reckon with a pursuit that never quite got off the ground while other possibilities such as Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee also slipped past.
Across the Central, the ripple effects are already showing up in Dallas, where Jason Robertsons contract situation has turned into a real pressure point. The Stars and Robertson still do not have an agreement, an arbitration hearing is on the calendar, and the longer this goes unresolved the more the conversation shifts from simple negotiations to a situation teams around the league will have to watch closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Trade Buzz Puts Red Wings Fans Right Back Here
Jack Roslovic landing with the Maple Leafs was one of those smaller moves that still says plenty about how the center market has been reshaped this summer. Toronto gets a useful piece and a familiar fit for Auston Matthews, while the ripple effect keeps reaching teams that are still trying to sort out their own depth down the middle. For Minnesota, that matters because the Wild have been shopping in the same neighborhood, where every move seems to tighten the options a little more.
Dylan Larkin remains the name that keeps the conversation alive, but the path to any deal is anything but simple now. Minnesotas interest has been real, yet the market around him is getting harder to read, especially with other center options coming off the board and Detroits direction adding another layer of uncertainty. The whole thing has become a reminder that one move can change the temperature for several teams at once, and the Wild are still waiting to see whether the one they want is actually available. [Read more 🡒]