Morning Chirps: Celebrini cashes in, is Hughes next?

Many of the NHL’s top rookies are spending the week in Chicago, including one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top prospects. Plus, a Western Conference rival locked up their star with a huge new contract. Let’s get Chirpin’!

Blackhawks Chirps

• For the first time since being drafted in 2023, Roman Kantserov finally met the Chicago media during the NHLPA Upper Deck Rookie Showcase.

• Jeff Maroon wrote how one of last season’s biggest weaknesses could become one of the Blackhawks’ biggest strengths this year.

• On this date in 2005, the NHL Entry Draft was held in Ottawa. It was delayed by a few months because of the owners’ lockout, which cost the league the 2004-05 season. The wait was worth it for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who changed the trajectory of the franchise by selecting Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick. This was Dale Tallon’s first draft as Blackhawks general manager, and he used the seventh overall pick to take Jack Skille. This was one of multiple first-round misses Tallon made. But when you get Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in back-to-back drafts, you can look past some of the busts. Tallon did strike gold in the fourth round by drafting Swedish defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who became a key contributor to three Stanley Cup wins.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, July 30: Jack Portland and George Johnston.

NHL Chirps

The biggest news of the day came from the San Jose Sharks, who signed superstar forward Macklin Celebrini to a five-year, $94 million contract. His $18.8 million AAV makes him the highest-paid player in the NHL, topping Leo Carlsson’s $18 million AAV. But his new salary doesn’t kick in until next season, as he has one more year left on his entry-level contract. There is a good chance that he will never be the league’s highest-paid player, as Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar still need their new deals.

"I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today. The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going."

Macklin Celebrini

• Speaking of that Quinn Hughes contract, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the star defenseman and the Minnesota Wild are meeting this week to discuss an extension. The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract. We’ll see if he commits to Minnesota or flirts with the idea of hitting the open market, where he could make even more money.

• The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they will be simulcasting the television broadcast over their radio network. With the move, they did not renew the contract of radio play-by-play broadcaster Bob McElligott, who had been calling games for the last 17 years. For a franchise valued at $1.3 billion by Forbes to pinch pennies like this is shameful. It does a disservice to fans, as the radio broadcast needs to paint a picture instead of letting the visuals do the talking.

• Former Blackhawks defenseman Bryan McCabe has parted ways with the Florida Panthers. He was hired as a development coach in 2012 before being promoted to Director of Player Development in 2013. In 2017, he was elevated to Director of Player Personnel.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 30: Pit Lepine, Reed Larson, Real Cloutier, Markus Naslund, Danny Markov, Alex Goligoski, Scott Sabourin, Dylan Larkin, Jesper Brett, Joel Hofer, and Jani Nyman.

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