The San Jose Sharks are a team on the rise following a successful 2025-2026 campaign that saw the club improve 34 points in the standings compared to their previous last place season. The team just narrowly missed out on a playoff spot by four points.
The biggest storyline of the offseason for the Sharks centers on their franchise player, Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer. Although, he could wait until next year to extend since his RFA rights do not expire until 2027.
Celebrini has still been busy, despite his San Jose season being over. He has represented Team Canada once again in international play, captaining their World Championship squad. This honor could be a prelude for what to expect with his Sharks team.
Celebrini Tipped to Receive Sharks Captaincy
The Sharks have a captaincy position to fill soon. This franchise has not had one in recent seasons, since former captain Logan Couture retired in 2025.
All signs point to Celebrini receiving that nod. Via ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan, the San Jose captaincy is all but confirmed to be Celebrini’s responsibility.
This is not a surprise to hear. While Celebrini will only be 20 years old next season, he has the maturity of a longtime veteran player. Plus, he already has plenty of experience playing in the meaningful moments. He became Hockey Canada’s youngest NHL rep in the Winter Olympics. Celebrini has received high praise from his peers, including Pittsburgh Penguins idol Sidney Crosby. Crosby could have taken the captaincy in the World’s, but he refused as he believed Celebrini deserved the nod.
Celebrini’s strong form was the biggest reason why his San Jose group took such a major step forward. He enjoyed a breakout sophomore year this past season as he amassed 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points in 80 games.
Celebrini in Line for a Massive Contract Extension
If Celebrini is indeed named as Sharks captain, one wonders if a contract extension is also on the horizon in the near future. It would make more sense for San Jose to give the “C” to a player who has been locked up for the long haul.
Celebrini is this team’s franchise player. He is the player they will build around with the vision that he can eventually lead them to the Stanley Cup. San Jose has never won a championship in the organization’s history, Celebrini is their best hope to get them there.
Considering how much cap room the Sharks have with a rising market, Celebrini is due for a rich contract extension when the time comes to put pen to paper. His camp could be waiting on the Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard to extend. Bedard’s deal will likely be used as a marker to project the range this contract comes in at.
Insider David Pagnotta has speculated on Daily Faceoff that Celebrini’s next deal could land as high as the $15 million range per year, which would already make him amongst the highest paid players in the league at such a young age. With that said, Celebrini has shown he is worth the payday based on his elite performance thus far.
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