The Ducks have opted to match the five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, retaining the Swedish center’s services after the unprecedented overture by the Philadelphia Flyers.
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Carlsson’s $18 million salary cap hit will be the highest in NHL history, surpassing that of Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, who signed for $17 million per annum over an eight-year term last summer.
The Flyers stuffed their offer with bonuses, with more than 40% of the contract’s value being paid out during the first 12 months thanks to the contract’s structure.
Carlsson, 21, was the second overall pick in the 2023 entry draft. The players taken on each side of him, Chicago’s Connor Bedard and Columbus’ Adam Fantilli, are both in the throes of restricted free agency presently.
Each player has made a swift impact on the NHL, with Bedard and Carlsson dueling for the NHL scoring lead in the early part of last season. Though injuries impacted both players and caused them to miss double-digit games, they established themselves as two of the most promising young pivots in pro hockey.
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Carlsson finished with 67 points in 70 games and added 11 points in 12 postseason appearances.
He flashed glimpses of his potential during his rookie season, one that saw his workload monitored carefully. Then he had a strong finish to his sophomore campaign. In Year 3, his game took off, until a thigh injury hampered his performance and then cost him time, including his opportunity to represent the Tre Kronor at the Olympics in Milan.
With their decision, the Ducks slammed the brakes on an offseason that has blown past them in several ways. All three of their veteran defensemen moved on in free agency. They traded forward Mason McTavish for draft picks and made a similar deal involving Olen Zellweger. They saw the departures of multiple forwards and re-signed Pavel Mintyukov at a cost that ballooned due to offer sheet potential. All that came against the backdrop of hip surgery and a months-long recovery for winger Troy Terry.
However, the Ducks have yet to sign last year’s top point producer and goal-scorer, Cutter Gauthier, who is an RFA without arbitration rights or offer-sheet eligibility.
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More to come on this story.