S2 E2: MACK DADDY & Pacific Division Off-Season Review!

I mean, I guess the real question leading us off the bat is how is Macklin Celebrini getting on? He is going to be a significantly richer man.

We wondered if he was going to bet on himself, wait for a year, wait until the last year of his entry-level contract ended.

But no, he has put pen to paper a five-year contract, another five-year contract that we're seeing for one of these bright young players in the NHL.

$18.8 million a year.

So yeah, that's due to kick in from the 27-28 season.

Nathaniel, first thoughts? Good money? Too high? Did he leave some on the table? What are your thoughts on that Celebrini contract?

I mean, I think from many different angles, I think it's just come around to the right decision here.

I think he left money on the table.

I think he was going to be the first 20 mil player.

But obviously, after the craziness of this offseason, Leo Carlson signs for 18.

He at least wanted to be the highest paid.

And I was over that mark there.

So I think, yeah, he could have waited another year.

But he probably took a bit of a, not a pay cut, but didn't take as much money as he should have done in this contract.

But because it's only five years, he'll reach his third contract sooner.

And just getting paid 18 mil will cover off any gaps.

So even if he got paid 20 million, if he waited a year and got paid over 20 mil, then this one extra year of 18 million would have actually just covered that gap.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, so he's making, I think it's $950,000 for next season, and then his paycheck will get kind of significantly larger once that new contract kicks in, as will the percentage to the San Jose salary cap.

So that $18.8 million deal, that commits him to being 16.6% of San Jose's total cap tied up in one player.

Now, the maximum that you can that you can have in the NHL at present for any one player is 20%, which I believe the current cap situation is 20.8.

So essentially, he's he's left two million off there from him being, you know, a maxed out contract.

I don't think we've ever had a player in the salary cap era take up the full 20%.

But Mike Greer, the GM, said he absolutely could have asked for it.

He's praised his flexibility.