Ethan Cardwell’s NHL dreams may be fading in San Jose as he heads into his fourth pro season at 24, but the Sharks’ bold move locking up Macklin Celebrini—a 115-point scorer and Olympic standout—signals a new era for elite prospects. With a five-year deal worth $800K more than Leo Carlson’s, the Sharks dodged a bullet by securing Celebrini before other teams could swoop in. This high-stakes signing is just the tip of the iceberg: top young stars like Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar are setting unprecedented salary benchmarks, reshaping what “elite” means—and how much it costs to keep them. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d8e26db43eeff772

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.