The Philadelphia Flyers tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks star Leo Carlsson on Friday, a five-year deal worth $18 million annually that would make the 21-year-old Swedish center the highest-paid player in the NHL by average annual value, surpassing Leon Draisaitl's $14 million per year with Edmonton.
Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, had 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games this past season while leading the Ducks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
In 12 playoff games he added four goals and 11 assists before Anaheim lost to Vegas in the second round.
He is one of the most promising young centers in the game and the clear cornerstone of the Ducks' rebuild.
The Ducks now have seven days to match the offer or lose Carlsson to Philadelphia. If Anaheim declines, the Flyers must surrender four first-round picks over the next four seasons as compensation, the maximum possible under NHL CBA rules, reflecting how highly the league values Carlsson.
The catch for the Flyers is that Anaheim is almost certainly going to match.
The Ducks have $35.173 million in projected cap space and signing Carlsson was already their top offseason priority before this offer sheet arrived.
The offer sheet forces their hand and sets his price at $18 million, a number Anaheim can afford and will almost certainly pay.
Philadelphia knew that going in. The offer sheet is partly a power move, partly an attempt to strain the Ducks' cap and leave less room for Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov, two other prominent Anaheim RFAs who also need new deals.