Why Sharks center Macklin Celebrini’s contract approach surprised GM

Macklin Celebrini could have demanded every dollar available to him. Instead, he left money on the table, and it left an impression on his general manager. The San Jose Sharks signed Celebrini to a five-year extension worth $94 million on Wednesday, an $18.8 million annual average that makes him the highest-paid player in the NHL.

Celebrini was eligible to command as much as $20.8 million per year, roughly 20 percent of next season’s salary cap, but chose to take less to give the Sharks more room to build around him. General manager Mike Grier explained why that decision stood out.

“I was very happy to hear it and very grateful, to be honest with you,” Grier said. “I think you would have every right to ask for the full max, but for him to come out right away and tell us that he wanted to make sure we had some flexibility down the road, and he wasn’t looking to take the max amount of money he could, it meant a lot to me. It showed his faith and his commitment to the organization and him wanting to be here and be successful here.”