Sharks’ Graf & Smith Contract Extension Talks Are Heating Up

Wednesday was a historic day for the San Jose Sharks, signing Macklin Celebrini to the richest contract in NHL history. GM Mike Grier also provided an update on other restricted free agents (RFAs) Will Smith and Collin Graf.

“I think I’ve had some discussions with all three over the last month or so. I think they’re all at different stages. We’re happy to get Mack done now,” Grier said. “I think Graf is pretty close. Continuing to have dialogue with him and see where that goes. Smitty is definitely someone we’d like to lock up long-term as well.”

This is a positive development for San Jose Sharks fans, who have been waiting for an update on Graf. At this moment, Graf doesn’t have a contract for the 26-27 season. SHD doesn’t expect that to last much longer, especially after Grier’s update on Wednesday.

Regarding Smith’s talks, his contract length could come in similar to Celebrini’s five years. While Smith won’t come close to Celebrini’s $18.8 million AAV, other contracts around the league, like Connor Bedard’s and even Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet, have likely pushed the price up slightly.

“I think Graffer and Smitty are good players. We’re excited about them, and happy to have them in the organization, and want them to be for a long time,” Grier said. “But you know, Mack’s kind of a different cat, different animal here. I don’t think his contract should affect the other two too much.”

Grier says that if he is unable to sign Smith to an extension this Summer, he is still comfortable going into the 26-27 season. Smith would be eligible for an offer sheet like Carlsson’s if he reaches the 2027 offseason without a contract.

“We hope to get him done this Summer, but I guess you never know. You never know how things are going to go if it’s going to work out or not,” Grier said. “I’m sure we’ll continue to have conversations with his agent here as we go on throughout the Summer and see if we can hammer something out. If not, we’ll probably stay at it throughout the season.”

Neither Smith nor Celebrini has been living on their own in their NHL careers, but after Celebrini’s massive deal, Grier thinks that could change. The San Jose Sharks helped their young stars by having them live with team legends Joe Thornton (Celebrini) and Patrick Marleau (Smith).

“I wouldn’t be surprised if [Celebrini] and Smitty live together. Then hopefully I won’t be getting any late-night calls about trouble, though,” Grier joked.

Wednesday was a monumental day for the Sharks, and with the biggest piece of business in franchise and league history done, the Sharks shift their focus to their next young stars.