San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini is already confident in his leadership abilities, regardless of the letter on his jersey.
"I'm comfortable with myself and how I lead, and I don't think it'd really change anything in the way I approach every day and do stuff," Celebrini said when asked about potentially being named captain of the Sharks, according to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports.
Many expect the 20-year-old to become the next captain of the Sharks after he signed a record-breaking five-year, $94-million extension this past offseason. His $18.8-million salary is the largest in NHL history.
"I think five was just the right number," Celebrini added. "Just all different factors with where our team is going and having that flexibility. We're all really excited with where we're going and what we're building. So just kind of keeping a little bit more flexibility for everyone. It's not really a bad thing."
Celebrini served as an alternate captain as a teenager for San Jose last year, scoring 45 goals and adding 70 assists over 82 games to finish fourth in Hart voting. He also captained Team Canada during the World Championships in May.
If named captain, Celebrini would succeed Logan Couture, who retired in 2025 after struggles with osteitis pubis and last appeared in games during the 2023-24 season. The 37-year-old is still technically under contract with San Jose through the 2026-27 campaign.
