Macklin Celebrini Signs Rookie Contract with Sharks; Was No. 1 Pick in 2024 NHL Draft
July 6, 2024
The San Jose Sharks have signed Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, to a standard entry-level contract.
Celebrini is now set to join the Sharks roster for the 2024-25 season, ending his college hockey career after one Hobey Baker-winning campaign for Boston University.
BU Men's Hockey @TerrierHockeyOur Hobey winner has made it official.<br><br>Congrats to Macklin Celebrini on signing with <a href="https://twitter.com/SanJoseSharks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SanJoseSharks</a>!<br><br>Wishing you all the best as you begin your pro career, Mack! <a href="https://t.co/16X64n0iYD">pic.twitter.com/16X64n0iYD</a>
Macklin's contract is set to carry a cap hit of $975,000 per year and an average annual value of $4.48 million with performance and signing bonuses, per CapFriendly:
CapFriendly @CapFriendlySan Jose Sharks have signed the 1st overall pick Macklin Celebrini to his 3 year ELC<br><br>Safe to say the contract has the new 2024 max ELC breakdown:<br>$4.475M AAV<br><br>Base: $877.5k<br>Signing bonus: $97.5k<br>Type 'A' Perf Bonus: $1M<br>Type 'B' Perf Bonus: $2.5M<a href="https://t.co/kGqmg13OS0">https://t.co/kGqmg13OS0</a>
Celebrini last season became the the fourth freshman to be named the top player in men's college hockey after recording 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games for the Terriers, while finishing first in the nation with 1.69 points per game.
He is now set to join Will Smith, the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft, in the NHL next season.
Smith signed with the Sharks in May after ranking first in the nation with 71 points in 41 games for Boston College.
The former BC star forward said after signing his own contract that he believed it was "time to take that next step" (h/t the Associated Press.)
The Sharks will hope that Celebrini, who turned 18 in June, is also ready to make the jump to the NHL. He and Smith will be expected to provide an immediate offensive boost to a Sharks team that sorely needs one after finishing 31st in the NHL with 2.2 goals per game last season.
The Sharks have also added veteran offensive help this offseason, including forward Tyler Toffoli, who said Celebrini was one of the reasons he chose to sign with the Sharks in free agency (h/t Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News.)
Toffoli could end up as one of the players set to skate on Celebrini's wing as new head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks to rebuild the roster this fall.