With Macklin Celebrini already signed, the San Jose Sharks are turning their attention to the next two names on the list: Collin Graf and Will Smith.
Graf, a restricted free agent after a breakout season that produced 21 goals and 46 points, appears to be the closer of the two. Sharks general manager Mike Grier said the sides are making progress.
“I think Graffer is pretty close,” San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier said. “Continue to have dialogue with [his camp] and see where that goes.”
Puckpedia founder Hart Levine has projected Graf landing somewhere between a two-year, $7.8 million deal like Will Cuylle’s and a seven-year, $45.5 million contract like Matt Coronato’s. In 2026-27 salary cap terms, that would work out to an annual value between $4.24 million and $7.08 million for the 23-year-old winger.
Smith is in a different contractual spot, but he’s also on the Sharks’ extension radar. He is not an RFA right now, though he is eligible for an extension, and Grier made it clear the team wants to keep him around.
“Smitty is definitely someone we’d like to lock up long-term as well,” Grier said.
That could mean a deal similar to Celebrini’s five-year contract, or something even longer. Grier said the Sharks would like to get something done this summer, but he also left the door open to carrying the talks into the season.
“We’ll continue to have a conversation with his agent here as we go on throughout the summer and see if we can hammer something out. If not, we’ll probably stay at it throughout the season and see how the season goes.”
Smith, 21, is coming off a 59-point season in 69 games, and there’s a sense he could take another step forward. If that happens, the price only climbs next offseason. Levine projected a roughly five-year, $50 million contract for Smith this summer.
Even with Celebrini’s record-setting $18.8 million AAV now on the books, Grier doesn’t believe that deal will set the market for the Sharks’ other young pieces.
“Graffer and Smithy are good players, and we’re excited about them, and happy to have them in the organization, and want them to be in the organization for a long time,” Grier said. “But Mack’s kind of a different cat, different animal here. I don’t think his contract should affect the other two’s too much.”
In Other News...
Sharks Just Sent A Clear Message With Macklin Celebrini
The Sharks have made their intentions unmistakable with Macklin Celebrini, locking up the centerpiece of their rebuild long before they had to. San Jose signed the young star to a five-year, $94 million contract extension that does not begin until the 2027-28 season, a move that cements him as the franchise face and puts him at the center of everything the organization wants to build.
For a team still trying to climb back into contention, the deal is as much about message as money. It gives the Sharks long-term stability with a player they believe in, and it comes with a structure that includes a significant portion in signing bonuses, underscoring just how heavily the club has invested in keeping Celebrini in teal for the foreseeable future. [Read more 🡒]
Will Smith Just Became A Bigger Priority For The Sharks
Mike Griers latest move only sharpened the Sharks next big task. After locking up Collin Graf on a three-year deal, San Jose now has a clearer picture of its young forward group and a little more urgency to address the player who may matter most in the long run. Will Smith, the 21-year-old and 2023 fourth overall pick, has already shown enough offense in his first two NHL seasons to make him one of the more important pieces in the organizations rebuild.
The Sharks also have the cap flexibility to make a serious push next summer, which should help when it comes time to handle Smith along with other restricted free agents. The tricky part is finding the right number, and that conversation could be shaped by the market for similar young centers around the league. For San Jose, this is the sort of negotiation that can quietly define the direction of the roster, even if the final agreement is still some time away. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Just Set Up The Macklin Celebrini Debate Fans Expected
Macklin Celebrinis rise has already become one of the defining stories in San Jose, and his new five-year extension only deepens that conversation. The 20-year-old coming off a 115-point season was always going to command a massive number, but the Sharks managed to lock in their franchise centerpiece early, with the deal set to begin in the 2027-28 season and giving the organization a clearer long-term direction.
What makes the contract stand out is how it positions San Jose for the years ahead. Even with Celebrinis place at the center of the rebuild secure, the structure leaves the Sharks with more flexibility than many expected for a player at this level, and it immediately invites the larger question fans were waiting for: how high could the number have gone if the team and Celebrini had pushed all the way to the ceiling? [Read more 🡒]