The Anaheim Ducks have been shoved into a corner by the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, and now general manager Pat Verbeek has a decision that could shape the franchise for years.
Carlsson’s five-year, $18 million AAV offer sheet has created the kind of mess Verbeek has spent years trying to avoid, and it has already forced Anaheim into another expensive move. The Ducks had to lock up defenceman Pavel Mintyukov on a five-year deal worth $7.2 million per season after offer sheet pressure pushed that negotiation along. Verbeek’s hardline approach with restricted free agents has long been part of his playbook, but this time it may have boxed him into a situation where his first-line centre is suddenly vulnerable.
That’s the real problem here. Carlsson, 21, may not be viewed the same way by everyone yet, but his upside is obvious, and the $18 million cap hit attached to this offer sheet is steep enough to make any team pause.
Anaheim drafted him second overall in 2023, developed him, and just watched him deliver a breakout season. Letting him walk would be a brutal outcome, but matching the deal would jam up the Ducks’ cap picture for years.
The center depth behind him only makes the dilemma sharper. Anaheim’s other options down the middle are Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, and Tim Washe, with 2025 10th overall pick Roger McQueen standing as a promising prospect for the future. That’s not exactly a safety net if Carlsson leaves.
Still, the alternative is no picnic either. The Ducks would have four first-round picks in hand if they declined to match, and that kind of draft capital gives them real buying power.
It could open the door to a different kind of fix, whether that means chasing a bigger name or trying to solve the hole another way. Dylan Larkin’s name is still out there, and there’s also word from Seattle that the Kraken are willing to trade Shane Wright, though those two players sit in different cost ranges.
Another possibility mentioned is Elias Pettersson.
Verbeek also made this harder on himself by publicly warning that he would match any offer for any Duck who signed an offer sheet. Backing off now would carry its own cost. It could make him look soft in future contract talks with his own players, and even in trade negotiations.
From the Flyers’ side, the move makes sense. Their center group of Christian Dvorak, Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates and Sean Couturier doesn’t exactly intimidate anyone, and they’ve been without a true No. 1 centre for years.
Carlsson would change that immediately. Philadelphia would still have about $11.5 million in cap space, and it also needs new deals for restricted free agents Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.
The fact that the Flyers moved ahead with the Carlsson offer sheet suggests they believe those contracts can come in under that number.
Now it’s just a matter of time. The clock is ticking until next Friday afternoon.
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