The Philadelphia Flyers have handed the Anaheim Ducks a tough decision with a Leo Carlsson offer sheet. The offer sheet tendered for Carlsson is a five-year deal worth $18 million per season. Carlsson will now be the highest-paid player in the NHL, surpassing Kirill Kaprizov‘s $17 million cap hit on the Minnesota Wild.
We have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim center Leo Carlsson. The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $18M, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation. https://t.co/nfhD4h6nEc
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 3, 2026
Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet is A Huge Ripple For This Offseason
This is a very intriguing turn of events, as the Ducks will have just seven days to ponder whether to keep Carlsson at an $18 million cap hit, or to take the alternative option, which is to send him to the Flyers in exchange for Philadelphia’s next four first-round draft picks. The Ducks do have over $35 million in available cap space, so the Flyers could force the Ducks to lose half of their cap space, or the Flyers, who have over $29 million in cap space, could get a first-line centre. This is really the boldest of bold moves that Daniel Briere could make, but it could be extremely costly.
Carlsson scored 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points last season with the Ducks, and was the second-overall draft pick in 2023. The 21-year-old has the makings of an elite centre for a long time to come, but the question at this point is whether Carlsson is worth the price of four first-round draft picks or $18 million per season.
Is there still some bad blood from the Cutter Gauthier situation from the Flyers that they would give Ducks GM Pat Verbeek a tough choice? In any case, the ball is in Anaheim’s court now. The Ducks have made it clear that they will match any offer sheet given to Carlsson, but it would be difficult to say no to such a high price as well.
This is an unprecedented situation that could set a precedent not only for future offer sheets but also for future contract extensions around the NHL. Stay tuned.
Main photo by: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
