The NHL’s contract market is moving fast, and three teams are staring at the same problem from different angles: young talent is getting expensive in a hurry.
In Edmonton, Matt Savoie is the next name to watch. The Oilers have not had a ton of ultra-young standouts lately, but Savoie has already carved out a real place for himself.
He played all 82 games and finished with 37 points, while also showing he can help on the penalty kill. He’s even proven he can skate alongside Connor McDavid, which only adds to his value for Edmonton.
The wrinkle is timing. Savoie still has a year left, and the Oilers appear locked in on this season, so extension talks have not started yet.
That could be risky. If his offense takes another step, his price could climb fast, and Edmonton could wind up paying more than it wants.
San Jose already made its move with Macklin Celebrini, and the number attached to it is eye-catching. The Sharks signed him for five more years at a record-setting $18.8 million AAV, a deal that will sit at the top of the league when it kicks in.
For some fans, the sticker shock is the headline. But with Celebrini posting 115 points in what was described as a “down” year and still finishing fourth in scoring, it’s tough to argue the Sharks overpaid.
The cap is also rising, which should soften the blow over time. Even so, this contract is the kind that resets expectations and makes every future negotiation a little more complicated.
Ottawa is dealing with a much messier version of the same issue. The Senators want to keep Drake Batherson before he can reach unrestricted free agency next summer, but league sources say the two sides are far apart.
Batherson is currently making about $4.95 million per year, and the sense is that he could be looking for something in the $10-$11 million range on the open market. Ottawa wants him back, but the club is trying to make the math work within its own contract structure.
Recent star deals have pushed the market higher, and if the Senators can’t bridge the gap - especially with reports that they’re not big on signing bonuses - Batherson may be inclined to see what free agency has to offer.
In Other News...
John Klingbergs Next Move Could Sting Sharks Fans
John Klingbergs run in San Jose appears to have put him back on the board as a legitimate free-agent option, and that alone makes this a notable summer development for Sharks fans. After a solid season in teal, the veteran defenseman is now free to choose his next stop, with his market shaped by both his production and the kind of role he still wants at this stage of his career.
The tricky part for San Jose is that the interest around Klingberg does not sound like it will be limited to one type of team. Clubs with different timelines and different cap situations are all in the mix, which means the Sharks could be watching a player they just had settle into a new home move on again before long. What he values most in his next contract will go a long way toward determining whether San Jose gets another year of stability from him or has to start over on the blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Just Made Macklin Celebrini Their Franchise Cornerstone
Macklin Celebrinis new five-year extension gives the Sharks exactly what every rebuilding team wants most: a clear face of the franchise, and one they can build around for the immediate future. At $94 million, the deal also resets the market in a way that reflects just how quickly Celebrini has become central to San Joses plans, putting him atop the NHLs salary ladder on an annual basis.
The shorter term is what makes the contract especially interesting for the Sharks. Five years is a meaningful commitment, but it also leaves the door open to another major negotiation before too long, which means San Jose gets the comfort of locking in its cornerstone without fully answering the longer-range question of how the relationship will look when this deal runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Another Young Star Just Framed Celebrini Like A Franchise Force
Macklin Celebrinis offseason work in Vancouver left a strong impression on Gavin McKenna, who came away talking about the Sharks center as more than just a rising star. McKenna praised Celebrinis intensity and competitiveness in their training sessions, saying the young San Jose cornerstone pushed him to improve both on the ice and in the day-to-day grind that comes with a serious summer workout.
For Sharks fans, it is another reminder that Celebrinis reputation is already stretching well beyond San Jose. McKenna even described one stretch of training as a marathon of ice time, and the kind of commitment he saw helps explain why Celebrini is being framed like a franchise force before he has even settled into the next phase of his career. [Read more 🡒]