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.
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.
“Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said. “We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league, while continuing to make a strong impact in our community.”
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 centers in pro hockey.
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.
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He’s a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet.”
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.