One of the most pressing questions for the Detroit Red Wings this offseason was whether they'd be able to bring back future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane. 

The Buffalo native, who turns 38 in November, is still a near point-per-game player, and the Red Wings couldn't afford to lose any more offense from a unit that finished with the 11th-worst scoring output in the NHL this past season.

The homecoming many expected, however, didn't play out in Detroit's favor. The Chicago Blackhawks instead offered Kane a two-year, $16 million deal carrying an $8 million cap hit, and he took it, returning to the franchise where he built the bulk of his Hall of Fame resume.

Few fans were upset with the decision, especially once the dollar figure became public. Some were downright stunned by Chicago's willingness to hand a three-time Stanley Cup champion that kind of money on the back end of his career.

Kane's $8 million cap hit lands just a shade below what Detroit stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider carry on their own deals, while coming in above the cap hit of notable linemate Alex DeBrincat.

There was little chance the Red Wings were ever going to match that kind of offer, and the Fourth Period's David Pagnotta made clear just how surprised he was by the number on a recent episode of Daily Faceoff's "The Sheet" podcast. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Pagnotta explained he did a triple take when the figure came across, adding that it wasn't as if Chicago lacked the cap space to make it work. He also said he had heard Kane was offered something closer to $5 million before the Blackhawks ultimately decided to sweeten the pot to ensure their longtime winger made his way back to the Windy City.

Detroit, meanwhile, never came close to that range as Kane's salary with the Red Wings topped out at $4 million across three one-year deals from 2023 through 2026, during which he remained a highly productive scorer, totaling 57 goals and 163 points in 189 games. 

Chicago's willingness to more than double that price tag underscores just how much value the Blackhawks are placing on Kane's return, particularly with top center Connor Bedard expected to open next season on the shelf following offseason shoulder surgery.

Selected first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft, Kane spent the first 17 seasons of his career with the franchise, winning three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 along with the Calder Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. 

In 1,161 games with Chicago, Kane recorded 446 goals and 779 assists for 1,225 points, numbers that rank him third in franchise history in goals and second in both assists and points.

Kane was one of the more reliable playmakers left on the Red Wings roster that struggled to generate offense last season, and his departure leaves the team searching for more answers up front as they continue chasing their first playoff berth in a decade.

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The NHL’s latest big contract signing has Vancouver Canucks fans excited. 

Earlier today, the San Jose Sharks announced that star forward and BC-local Macklin Celebrini has signed a five-year contract extension beginning during the 2027–28 season. The contract expires after the 2031–32 season, during which Celebrini will become an unrestricted free-agent at the age of 26. 

It’s safe to say that Canucks fans are very happy about the prospect of a potential Celebrini free-agency signing. 

“Walked himself to UFA basically,” @LaheyHNIC wrote on X. “Incredible day for the Canucks.” 

Celebrini’s contract is the second five-year extension signed by a player from North Vancouver, as Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard also inked a new contract in mid-July that will walk him to UFA status in 2031.  

With both North Vancouver products set to become UFAs in the future, Canucks fans have already begun celebrating an outcome in which both Bedard and Celebrini return home to play for the Canucks. 

“CELEBRINI AND BEDARD ONLY SIGNED FOR 5 YEARS, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS !!!” @Springer4MVP said on X. 

"This has to be the best off-season for the Canucks in the past decade. 2 hometown boys signing contracts that lineup perfectly with the Canucks rebuild. Couldn't ask for anything else," @Taj1944 commented. "Now they have to stay patient for 4-5 years and keep loading up with young talent." 

“Bedard and Celebrini are both walking themselves to be 25 and 26 year old UFAs,” @Naughty4Novotny added. “They both want to come home and play for their favourite hockey team as soon as possible 🤩.” 

“#Canucks have 5 years to put together a decent roster AND get a practice facility project built. Don’t let that time go to waste ⏳,” @LachInTheCrease wrote. 

Only time will tell whether fans’ premature celebrations are a sign of something true to come along. For now, it appears the allure of two potential homecomings will be enough to keep Vancouver’s fanbase excited. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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We are at one of the quietest points of the offseason, but the New York Rangers still have two notable restricted free agents without a contract extension in place.

The futures of defensemen Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio with the Rangers appear to be in flux, as both remain unsigned. 

The Blueshirts acquired Morrow from the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the K’Andre Miller sign-and-trade package. 

Despite coming into the 2025-26 season with some promise and expectation, the 23-year-old defenseman was unable to carve out a consistent role with the Rangers, bouncing up and down from the NHL and American Hockey League. 

The 23-year-old defenseman played in 29 NHL games this past season, recording six points while averaging 15:40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, the Rangers claimed Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 31. 

Iorio stuck around with the Rangers for the remainder of the season, but he was scratched for a handful of games. ‘

The 23-year-old defenseman posted three points in 27 games for New York while averaging 13:05 minutes. 

The Rangers re-signed Braden Schneider to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension, and acquired both Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, which puts Morrow and Iorio in a difficult position to earn consistent playing time at the NHL level. 

It’s unclear where the Rangers are regarding negotiations with Morrow and Iorio.

In the 21st century, only three teenagers have recorded 100-point seasons at the NHL level. A fourth, Steven Stamkos, came close, but finished with 95 points. On Wednesday morning, the San Jose Sharks signed forward Macklin Celebrini to a record-breaking deal. He's now projected to be the highest-paid player in the NHL during the 2027-28 season, although a lot can change between now and then. So, how does his new deal compare to previous teenage superstars?

Macklin Celebrini's 115 points is the most in San Jose Sharks history, and the fourth-most by a teenager in NHL history. He trails just two of hockey's all-time greats, Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. Considering Gretzky's teenage seasons were almost half a century ago, we'll leave him out of this discussion and focus directly on Crosby to start.

Sidney Crosby

Crosby's first years in the NHL were a little different, as by the time he was due for his first big contract, he had already surpassed the 100-point threshold in back-to-back seasons. As a result, the Pittsburgh Penguins wanted to lock him up as quickly as possible and as soon as he became eligible for an extension, he got his new contract. 

Crosby's first big deal was a five-year contract with an average annual value of $8.7 million. While that is over $10 million less than Celebrini's new cap hit, at the time, the salary cap was much lower. Crosby's cap hit took up 15.34% of the Penguins' cap space at the time, a significant sum, but a manageable one for the best player in the world.

Celebrini's cap percentage is a bit higher, sitting at 16.56%, but it's still in the same ballpark. The Sharks' young star had another feather in his cap as well. While the Sharks had superstars in the past, Celebrini already owns the franchise record for points in a season, something Crosby has never come close to doing because of franchise legends Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. As a result, it makes sense that the Sharks would have to give Celebrini a bit of a bump.

Connor McDavid

Roughly a decade ago, Edmonton Oilers standout Connor McDavid was coming off of his first 100-point season and was the face of a new generation of stars in the NHL. As a result, the Oilers locked up their budding superstar with an eight-year contract that carried an average annual value of $12.5 million. While it was quite a bit more money than Crosby had earned a decade prior, McDavid's cap percentage was just marginally higher at 15.72%. 

Of course, the main difference between McDavid's contract and those of Celebrini and Crosby was the term. McDavid signed the maximum term, eight years, while both Celebrini and Crosby opted to go with shorter-term deals. 

Interestingly though, both McDavid and Crosby have remained at the exact same cap hit for the rest of their careers, at least to this point anyway. While their contracts were sizeable at the beginning, their loyalty to their organizations, while occasionally questioned in the media, was always at the forefront as their careers progressed.

While many have criticized Celebrini's message of taking a "team-friendly" deal, in reality, he's taken almost the exact same contract as other players of his caliber historically. His cap percentage is slightly, but not significantly, higher and unlike McDavid and Crosby, Celebrini has the potential to be the best player in the history of his organization. While that's not meant as a slight on two future legends of the game, it means that the Sharks have to do whatever they can to keep Celebrini happy, even if it means paying slightly more.

Had he wanted to, Celebrini undoubtedly could have become the first player with a cap hit north of $20 million. Instead, he chose not to and followed in the shadow of Crosby and McDavid by taking slightly less than market value.

As we continue our exploration of the Atlantic, it's time to dissect the roster of the team responsible for the biggest change to the Senators' offseason.

After back-to-back Stanleys, the Florida Panthers finally hit a wall last season. Injuries not only knocked off their three-peat hopes but also ended their six-year run of making the playoffs.

It's not often the 25th-ranked NHL team has a chance to become the best team in the NHL, but here we are.

Senators Offseason Summary

The Senators' summer changed dramatically when Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was eventually sent to Florida for the ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-rounder and a 2029 first-round pick.

GM Steve Staios then flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.

Ottawa also acquired Andre Burakovsky and goalie Samuel Ersson, while re-signing Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Jordan Spence and Leevi Merilainen.

The biggest question remains whether Eklund and Burakovsky can replace Tkachuk's offence.

Let's compare that with Florida's offseason.

Panthers Trades: Additions

Obviously, we start with Tkachuk, who arrived in Sunrise last month in the aforementioned trade.

The Panthers are at the cap and have almost all their top guys locked up for at least the next four years, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Brady becomes a UFA in 2028.

The Panthers also completely changed their goaltending.

Jacob Markstrom was added from New Jersey while Akira Schmid came over from Vegas for a 2028 third-round pick. 

Florida also added more grit, acquiring Garnet Hathaway from Philadelphia and bringing back Radko Gudas from Anaheim. The Panthers also got former Sens buzzsaw Angus Crookshank in the Markstrom deal.

Panthers Trades: Subtractions

The Tkachuk trade cleaned out much of Florida's premium draft capital. They don't have a first-round pick for the next three years.

They gave up 23-year-old Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle to bring in a first-round pick they'd later have to send to Ottawa.

In a rugged UFA swap with Anaheim, they sent forward AJ Greer to the Ducks for Gudas. Both players re-signed with their new clubs.

The Markstrom deal with the Devils cost the Panthers Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and minor league prospect Ben Steeves.

GM Bill Zito wasn't afraid to sacrifice depth and future assets to try and build a winner.

Panthers Free Agency

The Panthers' biggest losses came in free agency. Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year deal with Toronto after seven seasons and two Cups in Florida.

Backup Daniil Tarasov also left for Detroit, meaning the Panthers enter next season with an entirely new goalie tandem.

On the plus side, Florida signed Gudas to a six-year contract and added a familiar name for Senators fans in Lars Eller. Veteran defenseman Alexander Petrovic was also brought back on a two-year deal.

Who Had the Better Offseason?

The Panthers.

The Sens lost Brady Tkachuk, and their loss is Florida's gain. Tkachuk, Radko Gudas, and Garnet Hathaway ensure that the Panthers won't be much fun to play against.

If there's one reason for pause, it's in goal.

Markstrom is 36 and posted an .883 save percentage last season, while Schmid was at .893 in Vegas. 

Aleksander Barkov missed all of last season, while Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and several other important Panthers missed a lot of time as well.

Florida is healthy again, and their talent level is not only outrageous, but it's locked up and not leaving anytime soon. The numbers listed beside their best players are how long they're locked up for.

Brady Tkachuk (2) – Aleksander Barkov (4) – Sam Reinhart (6)
Carter Verhaeghe (5) – Sam Bennett (7) – Matthew Tkachuk (4)
Eetu Luostarinen (9) – Anton Lundell (4) – Brad Marchand (5)
Jonah Gadjovich (2) – Lars Eller – Garnet Hathaway

Gustav Forsling (6) – Aaron Ekblad (7)
Niko Mikkola (8) – Seth Jones (4)
Dmitry Kulikov (2) – Radko Gudas (6)

Unreal.

Just like last year, the Panthers have a better roster than most teams. They just need to stay healthy.

If they do, they look a lot more like the club that won consecutive Stanley Cups than the one that finished 25th last season.

On paper, they might be even better.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For full Senators coverage, check out one of The Hockey News headlines below:

- Senators Won't Be Replacing Daniel Alfredsson On Their Coaching Staff
- A Member Of The Senators 'One-And-Done' Club Announces His Retirement
- 20 Years Later: Three Moves That May Have Cost The Senators A Stanley Cup
- Rest Is A Weapon: New NHL Schedule Leaves Senators At A Big Disadvantage

The New York Islanders announced on Wednesday that they have signed restricted free agent Alex Jefferies to a one-year, two-way deal.

His arbitration hearing was scheduled for July 31. 

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that forward Alex Jefferies has signed a one-year, two-way (NHL/AHL) contract.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 29, 2026

This isn't news for those keeping tabs during the offseason. 

Last Friday morning, Elliotte Friedman reported the signing:

The Islanders and Alex Jefferies avoid arbitration 

NHL: $850K
AHL: $100K
Guarantee: $130K

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 24, 2026

Jefferies, who recorded 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 60 games for the Bridgeport Islanders this past season, received his qualifying offer worth $850,000 on June 5. 

The 24-year-old was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2020 NHL Draft. 

On Wednesday, the San Jose Sharks announced their five-year, $18.8 million contract extension with superstar forward Macklin Celebrini. San Jose selected Celebrini with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he's already one of the best players in the NHL. 

This came just under two weeks after Connor Brdard, who went number one overall a year before Celebrini, signed his extension. Bedard's, like Celebrini's, is a five-year deal, but it's only carrying a cap hit of $15 million. Bedard was already a restricted free agent, so his deal kicks in right now, while Celebrini's won't go into effect until the 2027-28 season. 

Celebrini has had a better start to his NHL career than Bedard. On top of already being a much better defensive forward, his points per game (70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points in 152 games) top Bedard's (75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points). 

This past season, however, Bedard had a breakout season. It wasn't at the level he thought it would be because of an injury that sidelined him for a month in December and January. At the time of the bad break, Bedard was right there with Celebrini in the top five of league scoring. While Bedard was out, Celebrini pulled away. 

It was still a 30-goal point-per-game season for Bedard, but it was not close to the masterclass year that Celebrini had for the Sharks. 

With all of that in mind, is Celebrini worth $3.8 million more than Bedard in this market? Both of their deals made them top-five players in the NHL in terms of average annual value, but Bedard makes a lot less. 

Celebrini's AAV will account for 16.5% of San Jose's salary cap. Meanwhile, Bedard's is 14.4% of the Hawks' cap. For a variety of reasons, this is great business for the Blackhawks.

Neither guy would be making this much if the Philadelphia Flyers never tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Duck forward Leo Carlsson, who went 2nd in Bedard's draft, for $18 million, but it did and each franchise responded accordingly. 

Having an extra $3.8 million to work with when roster building is big for Kyle Davidson and his staff. If Bedard continues to develop his game and reaches Celebrini's level permanently (staying healthy will play a big role in that), the Blackhawks will be very thankful he took this deal. 

Within the next handful of years, as the salary cap grows, both guys will be "underpaid", but Bedard showed incredible commitment to the Chicago Blackhawks and made sure there is enough to build a winning roster by avoiding any offer sheets and getting this contract done promptly. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

When the Philadelphia Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with an $18 million AAV, the contract was considered to be an outrageous one. Times, however, have simply changed, and a new big-money deal proves that.

Carlsson, 21, briefly became the highest-paid player in the entire NHL with that $18 million AAV, but that title, as of next year, is no longer one he holds.

Instead, the San Jose Sharks signed superstar forward Macklin Celebrini to a new five-year contract extension, which will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL when it kicks in on July 1, 2027.

Celebrini, 20, got the five-year, $94 million contract from the Sharks less than a month after Carlsson signed the Flyers' offer sheet, and his $18.8 million annual cap hit will account for 16.56% of the Sharks' salary cap, per PuckPedia.

Additionally, the structure of the deal is very similar to that of Carlsson's, as Celebrini will receive $19.85 million in signing bonuses in Years 1 and 2, and another $19.8 million in Year 3.

In each of the five years of the contract, Celebrini will make the majority of his cash in signing bonuses, and his actual base salary never exceeds $1 million.

Matvei Michkov Says Flyers Contract Talks Haven't StartedAlthough he has been eligible to sign a contract extension for several weeks, Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov is taking a patient approach waiting for negotiations to begin.

The latter is also true of what the Flyers gave Carlsson.

The Swede will receive $19.95 million in signing bonuses this year, $18.1 million next year, and $17.05 million the year after.

That is all to say that the contracts signed here are almost identical, with the Flyers setting the baseline for the new generation of star players.

Of course, the Flyers are attempting to spend that kind of money because they do not have a player of their own from that pool, though the hope is that, with time and a bit of luck and investment, Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone can take that leap.

Fortunately for the Flyers, both of their young talents are wingers, so they'll end up being a bit cheaper than Carlsson and Celebrini once they hit their peaks.

And it goes without saying that the Flyers' search for a young, true No. 1 center still goes on, even after previously trading for and subsequently re-signing Trevor Zegras.

The price will be steep, but between Carlsson and Celebrini, they do know the price.

There is another major change coming to the Florida Panthers front office.

THN Florida has confirmed that longtime development executive and former team captain Bryan McCabe has parted ways with the franchise. 

“Caber’s work within our hockey operations department was integral to our success, and we wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter,” said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito.

McCabe had been working to develop players in Florida’s pipeline since he was hired as a development coach in 2012 following his retirement as a player from the NHL.

In 2013 he was named Director of Player Development, and then four years later was promoted to Director of Player Personnel.

During his career, McCabe played three of his 15 NHL seasons for the Panthers, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to be named team captain.

He racked up 104 points and 152 penalty minutes during his 199 games with Florida and played in his 1,000th NHL game while wearing a Panthers sweater.

“I spent 15 years with the Panthers, I made a lot of great relationships throughout the community and the organization, and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward,” McCabe told THN Florida. “South Florida is home to me, I raised my family there, and winning two Stanley Cups has been a dream come true. I loved my time there.”

Looking ahead, McCabe is expected to be highly coveted among teams looking to improve their development systems.

This summer the Panthers have already seen three members of their executive team depart the franchise, all heading to the New Jersey Devils.

First, the Devils hired former Florida assistant general manager and head of analytics Sunny Metha as their new general manager.

Then Metha turned around and hired Braden Birch, who served as Florida’s Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management, as his assistant general manager, and Leo Luongo, a key member of Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department, as Jersey’s new Director of Goaltending.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see what the future has in store for McCabe.

Considering the success he found in Florida, it will be fun to see where he lands and what kind of impact he has during the next steps of his career.

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NHL salaries are rising so quickly that Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby has dropped out of the top 50 and Minnesota Wild standout Kirill Kaprizov didn't get a chance to earn a paycheck with the title of top-paid player.

Kaprizov signed an eight-year, $136 million extension in 2025 that gave him the top cap hit at $17 million heading into the season. But he was surpassed when the Philadelphia Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet ($18 million), which the Anaheim Ducks matched.

Carlsson's status was also surpassed when the San Jose Sharks announced on Tuesday, July 29, that Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year extension with an $18.8 million average. His deal won't kick in until the 2027-28 season.

Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard signed a five-year deal with a $15 million cap hit that makes him No. 3 overall in 2026-27 behind Carlsson and Kaprizov. Anaheim's Cutter Gauthier and Columbus' Adam Fantilli, restricted free agents without arbitration rights, have yet to sign for the upcoming season.

The NHL salary cap, which was stagnant after the pandemic, rose to $95.5 million last season and $104 million this season.

Crosby, whose $8.7 million cap hit is derived from his 87 jersey number, is now ranked 52nd in average annual value.

Here are the top 50 players in the league in cap hits, plus the top salaries and the top defensemen and goaltenders (money figures are from puckpedia.com):

Highest-paid NHL players by cap hit

Note: Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will average $18.8 million, starting in 2027-28

Top 50 plus ties

1. C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $18,000,000
2. LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $17,000,000
3. C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $15,000,000
4. C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $14,000,000
5. C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $13,500,000
6. C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $13,250,000
7. C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,604,000
8. C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $12,500,000
9. LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
10. RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $12,000,000
11. RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $12,000,000
12. LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $12,000000
13. C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,600,000
14. C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $11,500,000
15. C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $11,500,000
16. D Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
17. RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
18. D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
19. D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
20. LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $11,000,000
21. LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $11,000,000
22. C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $10,625,000
23. D Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
24. D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
25. RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $10,500,000
26. LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
27. C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $10,000,000
28. C Tyler Seguin, Stars, $9,850,0000
29. C Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, $9,750,000
30. D Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
31. D Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
32. D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
33. RW Nikita Kucherov, Lightning, $9,500,000
34. C Brayden Point, Lightning, $9,500,000
35. D Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
36. RW Mark Stone, Golden Knights, $9,500,000
37. D Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
38. LW Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers, $9,500,000
39. D Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
40. C Mathew Barzal, Islanders, $9,150,000
41. C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $9,125,000
42. D Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
43. LW Jake Guentzel, Lightning, $9,000,000
44. D Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
45. D Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
46. D Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
47. D Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
48. D Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
49. D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
50. RW Timo Meier, Devils, $8,800,000

Highest-paid players by 2026-27 salary

Top 30, plus ties

1. C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $20,800,000
2. LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $19,100,000
3. C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $17,700,000
4. C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $17,000,000
5. C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $16,500,000
6. RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $15,700,000
7. LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $15,000,000
8. C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $14,250,000
9. C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $14,000,000
10. RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $14,000,000
11. LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $14,000,000
12. C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $13,000,000
13. D Thomas Harley, Stars, $13,000,000
14. C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $12,500,000
15. C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,150,000
16. D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
17. D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $12,000,000
18. C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $12,000,000
19. LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
20. LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $12,000,000
21. D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
22. RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
23. RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $11,250,000
24. C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $11,080,000
25. D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
26. D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
27. D Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $11,000,000
28. C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,000,000
29. D Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $11,000,000
30. D Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $10,500,000
31. LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
32. C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $10,500,000

Highest-paid defenseman by cap hit

Note: Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram will have a $12.5 million cap hit, starting in 2027-28.

Top 30 plus ties

1. Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
2. Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
3. Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
4. Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
5. Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
6. Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
7. Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
8. Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
9. Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
10. Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
11. Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
12. Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
13. Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
14. Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
15. Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
16. Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
17. Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
18. Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
19. Moritz Seider, Red Wings, $8,550,000
20. John Carlson, Lightning, $8,500,000
21. Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $8,500,000
22. Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets, $8,500,000
23. Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $8,500,000
24. Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $8,500,000
25. Brock Faber, Wild, $8,500,000
26. Miro Heiskanen, Stars, $8,450,000
27. Owen Power, Sabres, $8,350,000
28. Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $8,250,000
29. Jake Sanderson, Senators, $8,050,000
30. Victor Hedman, Lightning, $8,000,000
31. Thomas Chabot, Senators, $8,000,000
32. Philip Broberg, Blues, $8,000,000

Highest-paid goaltenders by cap hit

Top 30

1. Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $11,567,857
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, $9,500,000
3. Thatcher Demko, Canucks, $8,500,000
4. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, $8,500,000
5. Jake Oettinger, Stars, $8,250,000
6. Jeremy Swayman, Bruins, $8,250,000
7. Linus Ullmark, Senators, $8,250,000
8. Ilya Sorokin, Islanders, $8,250,000
9. Juuse Saros, Predators, $7,740,000
10. Dustin Wolf, Flames, $7,500,000
11. Sergei Bobrovsky, Maple Leafs, $7,000,000
12. Filip Gustavsson, Wild, $6,800,000
13. Lukas Dostal, Ducks, $6,500,000
14. John Gibson, Red Wings, $6,400,000
15. Adin Hill, Golden Knights, $6,250,000
16. Jordan Binnington, Blues, $6,000,000
17. Jacob Markstrom, Panthers, $6,000,000
18. Philipp Grubauer, Kraken, $5,900,000
19. Logan Thompson, Capitals, $5,850,000
20. Spencer Knight, Blackhawks, $5,833,333
21. Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets, $5,400,000
22. Tristan Jarry, Oilers, $5,375,000
23. MacKenzie Blackwood, Avalanche, $5,250,000
24. Darcy Kuemper, Kings, $5,250,000
25. Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets, $5,000,000
26. Joey Daccord, Kraken, $5,000,000
27. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres, $4,750,000
28. Karel Vejmelka, Mammoth, $4,750,000
29. Kevin Lankinen, Canucks, $4,500,000
30. Joonas Korpisalo, Rangers, $4,000,000

What is the NHL salary cap for 2026-27 and beyond?

2026-27

• Upper limit: $104 million
• Lower limit: $76.9 million

2027-28

• Upper limit: $113.5 million
• Lower limit: $83.9 million

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are highest-paid NHL players for 2026-27 season? See top 50 list

San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini has signed a five-year contract extension that will make him the NHL's highest-paid player, the team announced.

The deal, which kicks in during the 2027-28 season, is worth $94 million and will average $18.8 million. That exceeds the $18 million-a-year average in the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to center Leo Carlsson, which the Anaheim Ducks matched.

Celebrini, 20, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, broke the Sharks' single-season record for points with 115 last season in his second year in the league.

He was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player, voted on by fellow players) and played for Team Canada at the Olympics.

Macklin Celebrini contract details

Per puckpedia.com, Celebrini's contract is mostly made up of signing bonuses and will total $20,8 million in the first three seasons.

Celebrini 5 year $18.8M Cap Hit #SJSharks ext:

Year 1: 950K salary & 19.85M Signing Bonus
Year 2: 950K & 19.85M SB
Year 3: 1M & 19.8M SB
Year 4: 1M & 16.1M SB
Year 5: 1M & 13.5M SB, No Move Clause

Years 1-3 are for $20.8M in compensation, which is the most annual compensation…

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 29, 2026

Macklin Celebrini stats

Celebrini has played two seasons and has totaled 70 goals and 178 points in 152 games. His 115 points last season broke Joe Thornton's previous franchise record of 114.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sharks' Macklin Celebrini signs record five-year contract extension

Sharks star Macklin Celebrini has signed a massive new contract extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL.

The new deal is a five-year, $94 million contract that has a record $18.8 million average annual value, surpassing the $18 million AAV Leo Carlsson got on his five-year, $90 million deal when the Ducks matched the Flyers’ offer sheet earlier this month.

Celebrini, 20, was eligible to sign an extension since he is entering the final year of his entry-level contract with the Sharks and it will kick in at the start of the 202-28 season. 

“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in a statement. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick has developed into a star for San Jose, setting a franchise record during the 2025-26 season with 115 points and he recorded the second most goals in Sharks history with 45. 

Celebrini had also been a finalist for the Ted Lindsey Award for most outstanding player, which is voted on by the NHL Players Association. 

“In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.

“As we continue our goal of building a team capable of annually competing for the Stanley Cup, we want to thank Macklin and his representatives for a respectful negotiation process, and acknowledge the flexibility they have provided to the team in how we allocate future dollars towards the team being constructed around Macklin.”

San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier has now gotten his biggest piece of business done, as the team announced on Wednesday morning that they have signed Macklin Celebrini to a five-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player in the league. 

Celebrini’s new contract carries an average annual value of $18.8 million, $800k more than the deal Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson signed earlier this summer. 

"In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” Grier said in the press release for the move. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.”

Celebrini has already broken a number of records during his time with the Sharks and we’ve only seen him scratch the surface of his career. He also finished fourth in the NHL in points last season with 115, setting the Sharks franchise record for points in a season. 

“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in the press release. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.” 

The 2026 NHLPA Rookie Showcase, which will be held in a different location this year, will feature St. Louis Blues top prospect Justin Carbonneau.

The Rookie Showcase is now being hosted at the Blackhawks Ice Center in Chicago, Ill, kicked off on Tuesday, and will run through Thursday.

The event had been held in Washington for the last four years but has now moved to Chicago for the very first time.

The Rookie Showcase is largely a promotional event, where rookies don their clubs' jerseys as they pose for trading cards and other collectable merchandise. Many autographed items, specifically pucks, are gathered during this event. 

Additionally, the rookies will have their faces scanned for the EA Sports NHL video game.

Carbonneau, a 19-year-old right winger, is preparing for his first season of professional hockey. The 19th overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft scored 51 goals and 80 points in 60 games last season for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL.

St. Louis Blues 2025 First-Round Pick Justin Carbonneau Wants To Crash The NHL Party; Can He?Forward, who scored 128 goals past three seasons at junior level including 51 last season, is a longshot to make Blues out of camp but will do his darndest to try, disrupt what is already a crowded group up front

He did receive some AHL experience, skating in three playoff games with the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Carbonneau is likely to start the season in the AHL, but he does have his sights set on making the opening night roster. He'll be required to outperform several other Blues players, but with his power forward abilities, Carbonneau has the tools to do so. 

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