Hockey Wiretap

Macklin Celebrini said he has considered taking less than market value on his upcoming contract extension to give the San Jose Sharks greater financial flexibility. 

"Yeah, 100%. I mean, that's why all of us play. We want to win. We're competitive and we want to win," said Celebrini.

Celebrini, 20, is eligible to sign an extension with San Jose this offseason and has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, which carries a $975,000 salary cap hit. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft set a franchise record with 115 points last season, including the second-most goals in team history at 45.

Celebrini pointed to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, his Team Canada teammate and mentor, as an influence on his thinking. Crosby took a reduced cap hit on his second contract in 2012 to help Pittsburgh maintain a competitive roster.

"Obviously, guys want to get paid, as they should, because you've got to make a living. There are guys that deserve those numbers that are getting them, but of course you want to put your team in the best spot possible where you give a team the ability to make moves necessary to win. I think all that goes into the decision," said Celebrini. "I haven't really had many discussions about it or thought through it too much yet. Still kind of on the fence. But yeah, there's definitely a lot to think about."

The NHL's salary landscape shifted this offseason after the Philadelphia Flyers signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet that the Ducks ultimately matched. Carlsson's five-year, $18 million annual average value contract makes him the league's highest-paid player next season.

Celebrini said the deal has generated significant conversation among NHL players.

"I think that's going to start being the new normal in the NHL, those kinds of numbers with the cap going up and all that stuff," said Celebrini. "So I think obviously it was really good for him to get that number and it's also good for everyone else."

Carlsson's contract is expected to influence upcoming negotiations for Chicago Blackhawks restricted free agent Connor Bedard, as well as Celebrini's own extension talks with San Jose. Celebrini said he plans to take his time with the process.

"I think it's just whenever it makes sense for both sides. I still have a year left. There's no reason to rush," said Celebrini. "But yeah, I think we'll kind of see how it goes."

Celebrini's father, Rick Celebrini, has worked for the Golden State Warriors since 2018. 

Victor Wembanyama recently signed a discount on his rookie scale extension with the San Antonio Spurs at 25 percent of the cap instead of 30 percent.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will appear as the cover athlete for both the Standard and Deluxe editions of "NHL 27" when the game releases later this year. EA Sports confirmed that Celebrini, 20, is the youngest player ever featured as a cover athlete in the franchise's history, surpassing Trevor Zegras, who was 21 when he appeared on the "NHL 23" cover.

"I thought it was amazing. I loved it," said Celebrini. "Fairly simple process: They just sent it to me and I was just like, 'Yeah, it looks good.'"

Celebrini appears in a white Sharks road jersey on the Standard Edition cover and a teal home jersey on the Deluxe Edition. The recognition caps a standout season for the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 draft, who set a San Jose franchise record with 115 points, including 45 goals, outpacing every other Sharks player by 56 points and 21 goals.

Celebrini was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the league's most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA, and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting for NHL MVP. He was also named IIHF Male Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season, recognizing both his NHL performance and his run at the Olympics with Team Canada.

Celebrini led the Olympic tournament with five goals in six games and 10 total points as Canada won the silver medal, falling to Team USA in the final.

"It was so much fun. Obviously, it was a really, really, rough way to end, but I think just the whole experience was so cool, just being in the Olympic Village and getting that experience with other athletes that were there," said Celebrini.

Celebrini enters his third NHL season with 178 career points, including 70 goals and 108 assists, across 152 games. San Jose has made several offseason additions in pursuit of its first playoff appearance since 2019, signing defensemen Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Michael Kesselring, along with drafting forward Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 overall pick.

Steve Yzerman is stepping down as Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager. He will transition into a senior adviser role under governor and CEO Chris Ilitch, with Detroit set to begin searching for a new head of hockey operations.

Ilitch praised Yzerman's contributions in a team-issued statement.

"Steve's lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization," said Ilitch. "We are thankful for Steve's hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs, here with the Red Wings family."

Yzerman will remain in his current position until a successor is named.

Yzerman reflected on his tenure in a separate statement.

"I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family," said Yzerman. "This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as General Manager. I've appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I'm extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise."

Yzerman took over Detroit's hockey operations in April 2019 after a successful run as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He returned to the only organization he played for during his Hall of Fame career, one that included three Stanley Cup championships and a run that carried the Red Wings from struggles in the late 1970s and early 1980s into a golden era in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Detroit entered a rebuild before Yzerman's arrival, having depleted its prospect pipeline during a 25-year playoff streak that ran from 1991 through 2016. Early drafting under previous general manager Ken Holland further limited the organization's young talent by the time Yzerman took charge.

Yzerman's tenure began with strong fan support, bolstered by his standing as a franchise icon and an early draft hit in Moritz Seider, selected sixth overall in 2019. Despite that success, the rebuild struggled to progress from a bottoming-out phase into sustained contention.

Detroit has now missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons. Team captain Dylan Larkin, once viewed as the centerpiece of the rebuild, requested a trade from his hometown franchise this summer.

Ilitch acknowledged the organization's shortcomings in the statement announcing the transition.

"Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization," said Ilitch.

The Buffalo Sabres and Peyton Krebs have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a four-year contract worth $18 million total, or $4.5 million annually. Krebs, 25, joined Buffalo as part of the Jack Eichel trade and has now spent five seasons with the franchise.

Krebs is coming off his most productive NHL season, posting 12 goals and 27 assists while playing all 82 regular-season games. He added two goals and four assists across 13 playoff appearances.

Krebs began the season in a bottom-six role before finishing the year on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. That trio opened the playoffs together before Sabres coach Lindy Ruff moved Krebs back down the lineup. His forechecking ability and versatility at both center and wing have made him a valuable piece up and down Buffalo's roster, with Ruff referring to him as the team's "Swiss Army knife."

Krebs expressed his desire to remain in Buffalo long term at the end of the season, citing personal ties to the city.

"This is definitely a home for my family and I, and I'd love to be a part of this team as long as I can," said Krebs. "Obviously, the group of guys here are unbelievable and a lot of fun to be around. I think that's the biggest thing: Is it a fun environment to come to the rink? And that it is, for sure. I got to know my neighbors really well, and all the people out in Clarence, where I live. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to, and I want to bring a Stanley Cup here."

The Sabres now carry 15 NHL forwards on their roster and hold $4.1 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

Krebs was the final internal contract Buffalo needed to resolve this offseason. After losing Tuch and Bowen Byram in free agency, the Sabres also retained forward Beck Malenstyn on a six-year deal worth just under $3 million annually.

The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson on Thursday, keeping the 21-year-old under contract on a five-year, $90 million deal that makes him the NHL's highest-paid player.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had privately told peers he intended to match any offer sheet for Carlsson, though sources told ESPN that Anaheim was still caught off guard by the size of Philadelphia's proposal.

"Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo," said Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli in a statement. "We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league."

Carlsson's $18 million annual average value surpasses the previous high mark set by Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, who signed a $17 million per season deal last year.

The contract structure leans heavily on signing bonuses, with just $4.7 million in total base salary over five years compared to roughly $85.3 million in bonus payments. Carlsson will receive nearly $20 million immediately in the contract's first year.

Anaheim selected Carlsson second overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He scored 29 goals and posted 67 points across 70 games this season despite battling injury, helping the Ducks reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Carlsson added four goals and 11 assists during a 12-game playoff run that ended with a second-round loss to the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas Golden Knights.

"We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft," said Verbeek. "He's a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet."

Philadelphia would have sent four first-round picks as compensation had Anaheim declined to match the offer.

Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard is expected to miss the beginning of next season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday, the team announced.

Chicago said Bedard should make a full recovery within approximately four months, a timeline that would keep him out for at least the opening month of the 2026-27 campaign. This marks the league's first 84-game season under the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement, with play starting in late September.

Bedard, who turns 21 on July 17, was hurt during a training session with Kaivo Hockey in Vancouver. Footage from the workout showed him losing an edge and crashing into the boards before leaving the ice while favoring his shoulder.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft and reigning Rookie of the Year from 2023-24, Bedard enters his fourth NHL season. He paced Chicago with 75 points and 30 goals across 69 games last season.

Bedard has totaled 203 points in 219 career games, though he has yet to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs with the rebuilding franchise. Chicago finished last season 29-39-14, an 11-point improvement from the prior year.

Bedard remains a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level deal. General manager Kyle Davidson has declined to publicly discuss contract talks.

Those negotiations could grow more complicated following a recent offer sheet signed by Anaheim's Leo Carlsson with the Philadelphia Flyers. Carlsson, picked one spot after Bedard in 2023, will earn an $18 million annual salary beginning next season, the highest in league history.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson filed for salary arbitration before Sunday's 5 p.m. ET deadline.

The filing means that Robertson is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet from another NHL team. Unless he's signed before the hearing, an arbitrator will determine Robertson's 2026-27 contract that will walk him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.

Robertson, who turns 27 on July 22, just finished a four-year, $31 million deal he got in 2022 and is a restricted free agent.

The Ottawa Senators have re-signed star forward Claude Giroux to a one-year contract worth $5 million, sources told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

In four seasons with Ottawa, Giroux missed just one regular-season game. He scored a career-high 35 goals in 2022-23, his first year with the Senators, and followed that up with 21 in Year 2. For his career, he has averaged 19:17 time on ice, and he will begin next season 21 goals shy of 400.

The Calgary Flames announced Monday that they signed defenseman Simon Nemec to a five-year contract worth $36.25 million, carrying a $7.25 million annual cap hit.

Calgary acquired the 22-year-old in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on June 23, shortly before he became a restricted free agent. Nemec posted 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games with New Jersey last season.

The Devils selected Nemec second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. He recorded 16 goals and 49 points across 155 career games during three seasons in New Jersey.

Nemec has also competed internationally for Slovakia, earning an Olympic bronze medal in 2022. Forward Maxim Tsyplakov joined Nemec in the trade that sent him to Calgary.

The Flames expect Nemec to provide scoring depth on the back end as the franchise continues rebuilding. His 11 goals last season would have topped all Calgary defensemen, surpassing Rasmus Andersson's 10 goals before his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Nemec is also expected to anchor Calgary's power play while mentoring top prospect Zayne Parekh on defense.

Calgary holds over $14 million in salary cap space this offseason, according to PuckPedia. The team has remained active in the trade market, recently sending winger Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta to the Minnesota Wild for Jake Middleton and draft selections.

The Philadelphia Flyers said Friday that they have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks star center Leo Carlsson for a five-year deal that's worth $18 million annually.

Carlsson being a restricted free agent means that he's still under team control by the Ducks, who now have seven days to match the offer submitted by the Flyers, per the NHL and NHL Players Association collective bargaining agreement.