NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 31, 2026
The potential effect of Sharks center Macklin Celebrini’s new contract on future signings, the latest on Maple Leafs prospect Gavin McKenna, three teams face a salary-cap crunch, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle believes Macklin Celebrini’s new contract spells the end of long-term deals for young NHL talent.
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).
Celebrini, 20, signed a five-year contract extension with an NHL record average annual value of $18.8 million earlier this week. Mirtle believes those five-year deals, instead of the league maximum of eight years (dropping to seven years starting on Sept. 16), will become the norm for other rising young stars.
The NHL has only projected its salary cap to 2027-28, but Mirtle reports every league executive and player agent he’s spoken to believes the salary cap will rise dramatically starting in 2028. By 2031-32, the cap could reach between $150 million and $160 million.
That’s why Celebrini’s contract is five years long. By 2031-32, his new AAV will be only 12 percent of the salary cap, which will be a relative bargain historically.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sharp increase in the salary cap is starting to change the landscape for NHL contracts.
Players will prefer shorter-term deals over the league maximum of seven years for players re-signing with their teams and six years for unrestricted free agents. Their contracts won’t age out too quickly, ensuring they can still maximize their value in their playing prime to keep pace with the rising cap.
By the way, the league maximum salary under a $150 million salary cap is $30 million. Under a $160 million cap, it’s $32 million.
NHL.COM: Speaking of Celebrini, he’s been training this summer with Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Gavin McKenna, who came away impressed with the offseason training regimen of the Sharks superstar.
“My trainers probably won’t like to hear this, but there was a week where we were on the ice for 17 hours,” McKenna said. “So, yeah, max crazy, but every skate out there, you’re getting better, and it’s a competitive group. So, I had a lot of fun with it.”
McKenna, 18, was chosen first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft by the Maple Leafs. He’s expected to make his NHL debut this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna is trying to follow in Celebrini’s footsteps. Training with the young superstar could give the Maple Leafs’ top prospect an edge as he begins his NHL career.
LA PAGE SPORTIVE: Louis-Andre Lariviere noted the Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights are feeling the pinch of their salary-cap crunch.
Because of the expensive contracts of stars such as Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs are sitting above the $104 million salary cap by $2.75 million. They’re permitted to be above the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but must shed a salary or two to become cap-compliant when their regular season begins in late September.
The cost of re-signing Jason Robertson to a one-year, $12 million contract pushed the Stars over the cap by $1.36 million. Like the Maple Leafs, they must make a cost-cutting move before their regular season begins.
As for the Golden Knights, they’re over the cap by $8.66 million, but are expected to place defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injury reserve to start the season to become cap-compliant.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs will likely place Max Domi ($3.75 million) on LTIR to get under the cap. He suffered complications from back surgery, and there is no firm timetable for his return to action. Meanwhile, the Stars could send a low-paid player or two to the minors to address their issue.
Speaking of the salary cap, I raised a point in yesterday’s Morning Coffee Headlines regarding the use of signing bonuses and whether it would be a contentious issue in the next round of collective bargaining. It was subsequently brought to my attention that the issue was already addressed. Signing bonuses will be capped at 60 percent of the total contract value for future contracts starting on Sept 16, 2026. Stick tap to foleyd7 for the info.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Bryan McCabe is moving on from his long-time stint in player development with the Florida Panthers. The former defenseman started as a development coach with the Panthers in 2012, became Director of Player Development a year later, and was promoted to Director of Player Personnel in 2017.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets aren’t renewing the contract of Bob McElligott, who was their radio play-by-play broadcaster since 2009. It’s a cost-cutting measure for the club. They are expected to lose revenue by shifting to NHL Productions for TV broadcasts rather than contracting with a regional sports network.
RDS: Former NHL player Pierre Dagenais has become general manager of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL.
TSN: The Vancouver Canucks and the city of Vancouver are exploring the construction of a practice rink for the club.
I’d like to know what fans think about Celebrini ‘s over 18 Mill a year contract. Do you think he should have gone lower to help his team was it an agent who asked for that amount?
or did Macklin see $ signs infront of his eyes?
I mean are there any players left that actually care about their team anymore? What has to happen now to at least quell the rising cost of keeping players. This is starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I know the Kirill contract was just a step below Macklin. I played hockey till my late teens. I know it sound pretty cliche but I would have played for an nhl team if they offered me $50 grand a year Although I wasn’t talented enough.
Macklin’s deal is far better than the Carlsson deal. At least Celibrini is worth it NOW!
Yes, they all play for the Habs
I don’t understand why fans view elite players getting what they are worth as greedy and disloyal to their teams. MC’s new contract is great value. Look at his production vs what he is paid. Why was it OK for teams to treat players like indentured servants in the “old” days?”
2 things can be true at the same time again.
Carlsson’s deal is too much for what he has accomplished, but Briere gave it to him. Celebrini’s isn’t as he is a more valuable player. I would argue he could have got more if he was determined too after that offer sheet.
I get why the young guys do it, as they haven’t made the big $$ yet and in a physical sport, it might be their only real chance.
It was easier for guys like McDavid and Crosby to take discounts on their next deal as they had already made more money than they or their kids will ever need. And it’s not like McDavid is playing for the league min now.
I find it easier to criticize the guys who have already made big coin and still try to max out, and then at the same time complain about their team’s GM’s for not having the ability to build a winner. Those particular guys open themselves up to criticism.
I disagree Robert, what does an extra 2 or 3 million mean to a player or agent they all still get their cut. If you can’t make it on $15 a year you better have a long look at your life. This also means a lot to the people who pay you. Bet you thought I was going to ownership or management. We the fans pay their salary . An extra 2 or 3 million. Cut in most instances can mean picking up a player that might mean making it past the first round. That’s my opinion and Robert I still see a lot of greedy players.
Ray, as for Briere giving Carlsson his salary:c
Briere set the price and Anaheim now has to pay it! It kinda smacks of socialism. 🤔
If the Sharks didn’t pay him that much, another team would have offered him more next year.
Yes, it’s a lot of money, but it’s relative. I think his salary might have been lower if the Carlsson deal did not blow up the top end of the pay scale. Thank you Verbeek for sucking at your job.
Personally, I would like to see league minimum raised to $1.25 to $1.5M to reward the rank and file.
For players to leave money on the table, I think they need to be close to contending for a Cup. Sharks aren’t there yet. I think the most noticeable example was McDavid only extending for $12.5M for 2 years. He probably gave up an extra $5-$6M a year for Edmonton to not spend that money on a solid goaltender and that will not get him that Cup.
Most exciting new forward in nhl. This deal will age great for sharks
Just thinking outloud but I can’t help but wonder if Detroit is about to clean house and is bringing in Bryan McCabe as director of player development. It’s possible Detroit has a new GM in place and he’s filling out a new staff.
My issue isn’t solely with the players. It’s the system. People pretend that the owners pay the players salary. That’s not true tickets and sales pay their salaries and costs are through the roof. Making having a hobby or outlet from life harder and harder for normal people who are lucky if they get 2% raises and the cost of living only going up 4%. Not sure this system is sustainable as entertainment is one of the first things to get eliminated and is coming perilously close for me personally at this point with hockey. I’m sure others have the pockets to handle another 10-20 percent increase in tv and gas and tickets and even beer. I can’t. I’m sure many are in the same boat.
I hear you Dan. I voiced much the same thought back on July 5. One thing for sure … I don’t have the same, intense feeling for the game I once did.
No I don’t really blame Celebrini, especially if cap projections prove true.
Unfortunately for myself the NHL dream also never happened, but I sure have destroyed my body both within and without sports.
I’m only in my 40’s but have been forced onto LTD due to said injuries and some failed surgeries. You never know what life can bring, especially in a hockey career. Maximize your earnings.
Sure he could have left a little on the table but if cap projections prove true, it will be a deal in a few years.
NHL salaries are starting to make there way upward. I don’t think they will ever be as high as MLB,NFL,and NBA.As the price of doing business rises so does the price for fans . An easy example is the end of Hockey Night In Canada on CBC on over the air tv.
Hi Gary, not sure what you meant about HNIC moving which is unfortunate, agreed. But salaries are causing the move away from CBC, salaries are going up because of the move and others like it.
Going to a game has become more and more a corporate event, or those who can afford it personally for season tix, which is becoming a smaller and smaller portion of the population.
Limited live game supply and still high demand. Won’t change until demand shrinks. For both game revenue and subscriptions to watch at home.
The more imminent issue is small market teams and will the national TV deals be enough to compete with the localized media deals. Will the small market teams be able to spend to the cap when it is $150M?
NHL may have to adopt a revenue sharing agreement that is different than the one that exists today.
https://rg.org/en-ca/guides/championship-guides/how-nhl-revenue-sharing-really-works-in-canada
An informative but easy read on revenue sharing built into new deal
Thanks HF30, I had read something similar previously. Personally I would like more detail, but will likely never find it.
Like who pays what, who gets what, and is it enough?
At very least the formula for paying and receiving.
It is the cost of doing business. As salaries rise the owners are looking for a revenue stream. the NHL does not have that revenue stream as the other sports. First it was cable tv and now it is the various streaming services. Someone has to pay the rising salaries as well as to line the pockets of the owners The days of over the air NHL games is dying .
Hi Gary, I don’t dispute the extra cost for fans, but it isn’t salaries causing a need for increased revenue.
The reverse is true; increased revenue is causing salaries to go up as it is a 50/50 split of HRR between ownership and the players. If revenue doesn’t go up, then the salaries won’t.
This isn’t chicken and the egg, revenue comes first.
Revenues are going up because the NHL can charge more for games because they are getting it. Basically they do it because they can. No more complicated than that.
That may be true Ray, but then who is the source of the revenue if not fans?
It is realistic to point out that the US and Canadian economies are on different trajectories. The Media landscape is also changing in both. Canada may fade a bit as a manufacturer, but has vast energy, timber, and mineral resources….among the most in the world per capita. Canada’s future economy is likely to depend on the degree to which the political climate wishes these to be exploited. The US is becoming more protectionist and charging for access to its vast consumer market, which supports the dollar as a reserve currency. On the down side the US seems unable to stop debt growth. With both countries changing, exchange rate volatility and increasing the potential for punitive tariffs is likely to have an adverse impact on hockey. There is a nascent technology that might help. There are new theatres being built that offer an immersive view of a sporting event. Hockey’s biggest weakness financially has always been that it hasn’t been able to develop a TV model that drives viewership to Baseball, Football, or Basketball levels. Hockey is far more arena dependent than those sports. This
new immersive media (I went to a test) can be compared as IMAX to an ordinary movie. I felt I could see the game as well as from a seat; you could see all the players, and you could actually see the puck (it may have been electronically enhanced, but it wasn’t flashing yellow or anything) There was a basic view, and almost continuous replay windows. The screen had a moderate curve. The proposers were talking about a $38,000 “Bar Package” Seating about 50 requiring 2 streaming channels to feed it. The Big theatre might actually be IMAX, although they didn’t use the name. This may not be it, but money woes won’t be the friend for the NHL unless the share of the media pie can be increased ;
In Baseball, Football, and basketball you can see the action on TV. Hockey not-so-much, and I think there is a bigger drop from CBC quality to the local broadasts that other sports as well.