What Flyers’ Carlsson offer sheet means for Celebrini contract
NBC Sports Bay Area & California • • sports
Key Points:
- Leo Carlsson signed a record-breaking five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, setting a new benchmark for restricted free agents (RFAs) with an $18 million average annual value (AAV).
- Macklin Celebrini, a 20-year-old San Jose Sharks forward, is not an RFA and therefore not eligible for an offer sheet this summer, but he is expected to receive a lucrative contract extension from the Sharks.
- Celebrini, who finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting as a sophomore, is widely regarded as a franchise cornerstone, with NHL executives favoring him over other top U23 players in a recent poll.
- Contract projections for Celebrini’s next deal range from $15-16 million AAV, but Carlsson’s $18 million figure could influence negotiations, though the Sharks have the financial resources to meet or exceed expectations.
- Sharks management and Celebrini himself appear committed to a long-term relationship, with no indication of a holdout or team change, suggesting the Sharks will prioritize securing Celebrini before he reaches free agency.
