Macklin Celebrini is getting paid.
The Vancouver-born centre and longtime Canucks fan agreed Wednesday morning to a five-year extension with the San Jose Sharks worth $18.8 million annually, a deal that totals $94 million and will be paid in USD. Celebrini still has one season left on his entry-level contract at $975,000, and the new average annual value begins in the 2027-28 season.
“In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” said Sharks GM Mike Grier. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.”
Celebrini also sounded thrilled to lock in his future with the Sharks.
“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in a statement put out by the Sharks. “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. 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 new deal comes after a huge season that cemented Celebrini among the NHL’s top players. He finished with 45 goals and 70 assists in 82 games, carrying a Sharks team that he almost singlehandedly pushed into the playoff race.
Will Smith and Alex Wennberg were the next-highest scorers on San Jose’s roster, with 59 and 55 points, respectively. Celebrini also suited up for Canada at the Olympics this past Winter and drew plenty of praise for his two-way game.
Long before he was putting up those numbers, Celebrini was a North Vancouver kid who spent most of his life rooting for the Canucks. During the 2024 playoffs, only months before the Sharks took him first overall in the NHL Draft, he was at Rogers Arena for a Canucks playoff game and joined in a “Go Canucks Go” chant that the broadcast cameras caught.
“I took my opportunity during that game to get one last Canucks chant going… I heard about it at the [NHL Draft] combine, yeah,” Celebrini said with a smile when recalling the moment.
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For Vancouver, the uncomfortable part is that these are not fringe pieces or easy fixes. Demkos situation is especially delicate because the team cannot simply assume there will be a clean escape hatch, while Boeser remains the kind of player the organization has tended to value even as the contract age starts to matter more. Put together, the three deals are a reminder that the Canucks next few seasons may be shaped as much by what they are already committed to as by anything they add. [Read more 🡒]
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Canucks Rebuild Suddenly Hinges On One Promise Fans Never Fully Trust
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Vancouver also has to do that while managing a roster still dealing with injuries and the usual stop-and-start rhythm that comes with a team in transition. Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Thatcher Demko are among the players coming off injuries and surgeries, which makes the development curve even more delicate as the Canucks try to build structure and competitiveness at the same time. The bigger question is whether this version of patience can hold when the pressure rises, because the franchise has heard promises about the long view before and never fully stopped wondering what happens when the short term gets uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]