What could a Macklin Celebrini extension look like?

As Macklin Celebrini enters the final year of his entry-level contract, some are wondering if the 19-year-old will set a new bar for NHL deals as his side negotiates with the San Jose Sharks.

Celebrini is coming off an all-time season in Sharks history, finishing with 45 goals and 70 assists for 115 points. Not only did he finish with 56 more points than the next Shark (Will Smith had 59 total points), but he ranked fourth in the entire NHL, trailing only future Hall of Famers in Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon.

Another factor in Celebrini’s contract negotiations is Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Connor Bedard, who in his third NHL campaign set career highs in all offensive categories with 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points. Bedard and Celebrini were the 2023 and 2024 No. 1 overall picks, respectively, but with Celebrini passing Bedard in point totals, as well holding a high-profile role with the Canadian men’s Olympic team, some wonder if Celebrini is waiting to see how much Bedard signs for before negotiating his own contract.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton are joined by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta to discuss what range both Celebrini and Bedard’s annual average value (AAV) will be on their respective contracts.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Celebrini’s extension: this summer, very expensive?

David Pagnotta: This summer or next summer, it’s going to be very expensive. I mean, the $15-million range wouldn’t entirely shock me. But I don’t know if they’ll go full term. I think this might be a five-year, get to the last year of your RFA status and then go from there. We will see.

With respect to Bedard and what that number comes in at: If they do go full term, there’s some pretty big numbers that are being discussed … his possible AAV could be $15, $16, $17 million, if you’re going full term.

I think that’s going to impact a little bit of what happens here, but without question, that $15-million range for Celebrini, probably on a short-term deal, that’s what I would look for. Maybe Bedard goes down that route, as well.

Tyler Yaremchuk: You kind of get the sense that with some amount of certainty and whether the cap keeps shooting up over the next few years: teams should be pushing for max term, right? It’ll be the players who will think, “Eh, I’ll just keep getting paid here.”

David Pagnotta: I mean, it goes on both sides. Some guys are comfortable with that automatic security. You’re locked in, you don’t have to worry about it, you could have got X-amount more, but to have that security in the event something bad happens, or you get hurt, or injured … that’s valued, as well.

You can see Bedard or Celebrini, or some of these other young kids … they’ll go to that three-or-five-year range, whatever take them to restricted free agency, then they go to full term. I can see that playing out with a lot of these younger guys, taking that “chance,” sort of speak.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…