NHL Rumors: Celebrini’s Deal, Hughes Extension, DeBrincat Trade… – The Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the San Jose Sharks have signed Macklin Celebrini to a five-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $18.8 million per season. What went into the extension and what does it mean for the NHL? Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild are navigating tricky contract talks with Quinn Hughes, the Detroit Red Wings could be facing a costly decision on Alex DeBrincat, and the Ottawa Senators are dealing with a growing gap in negotiations with Drake Batherson.

Celebrini Signs 5-Year Extension with the Sharks

The Sharks have signed Macklin Celebrini to a five-year, $94M extension, the team announced on Wednesday. It’s a huge deal, one that will make Celebrini the highest-paid player in the NHL when the new contract begins.

As big as this extension is, the Sharks see it as Celebrini doing them a favor. He could have commanded more. “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,” said GM Mike Grier.

The Sharks can now shift their focus to Will Smith as their next major contract priority. His entry-level deal is also due to expire after the 2026–27 season, and with Celebrini’s deal done, it gives both sides a better idea of where Smith might land.

Wild Planning Sitdown With Quinn Hughes

The Minnesota Wild are preparing for crucial contract discussions with star defenseman Quinn Hughes, and one report suggests that Hughes and the Wild pretty much know the term of the new deal. While the team would prefer a long-term deal in the five- to eight-year range, Michael Russo is reporting that Hughes is favoring a shorter extension—potentially three years. Hughes wants to align his contract expiring at the same time as his brother Jack Hughes.

This creates both opportunity and risk. On one hand, it suggests Hughes is open to staying in Minnesota. On the other, it hints that his stay might only be temporary. If he wants to reunite with his brothers, it might not be in Minnesota.

That puts pressure on GM Bill Guerin to carefully structure trade protection in any deal. If the Wild believe Hughes’ stay is temporary, they may even consider exploring trade options down the road rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Red Wings Confident They Can Keep Alex DeBrincat

Despite trade rumors surfacing after front office changes, there’s growing belief that Alex DeBrincat isn’t going anywhere. The Detroit Red Wings winger, who becomes a UFA next summer, is reportedly happy in Detroit.

That said, everything feels up in the air in Detroit these days. No one seems to know what authority Steve Yzerman still has, so a Dylan Larkin trade is on pause. Patrick Kane is now gone, too. DeBrincat is a huge part of the team’s offense, leading the team in goals and producing consistently. The real question comes down to money. With the market for elite scorers rising rapidly, his next deal could push into the $14 million AAV range.

Detroit is expected to have the cap space to make it work, but whether they view that number as reasonable will determine how quickly a deal gets done.

Senators Facing Tough Negotiations With Drake Batherson

Contract talks between the Ottawa Senators and Drake Batherson appear to be at a standstill, with both sides reportedly far apart on value. Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun writes:

“While Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios has opened discussions on an extension, league sources told the Ottawa Citizen they believe the two sides “aren’t close” to an agreement.”

source – ‘Gap remains wide as Senators, Drake Batherson work toward new deal’ – Bruce Garrioch – Ottawa Sun – 07/28/2026

Batherson, entering the final year of his current deal, is expected to command a significant raise that could land between $10 million and $11 million annually.

While both the player and team have mutual interest in continuing the relationship, bridging the financial gap won’t be easy.

Beyond Batherson, the Senators have another important contract situation to address in defenseman Artem Zub. Like Batherson, Zub is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Ottawa is expected to begin extension talks soon.