The Flyers took their biggest swing of the summer at Leo Carlsson, and now they’re back to the drawing board.
On July 3, 2026, Philadelphia put a record 5-year, $90 million offer sheet in front of the Anaheim Ducks’ restricted free agent center. The deal carried an $18 million annual average value, which would have made Carlsson the NHL’s highest-paid player. It also would have cost the Flyers four first-round picks if Anaheim had let him walk.
That didn’t happen. The Ducks had until July 10 to make their call, and they matched the offer sheet to keep Carlsson in Anaheim.
So where do the Flyers go now?
General manager Danny Brière has made it clear he’s hunting for a top-line center, and Carlsson was the boldest attempt yet to land one. With that door shut, Philadelphia is still working through alternatives, and Adam Fantilli sits at the top of the list of possible Plan B options.
Fantilli, the 21-year-old center for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was the third overall pick in 2023 and just turned in a strong 2025-26 season. He set career highs with 59 points in 82 games, which is exactly the kind of production that keeps him in the conversation as a franchise center. He’s also the kind of player the Flyers could chase either through another offer sheet or by trade.
There’s still some risk attached, though. Fantilli has not fully met the elite expectations that followed him into the league, and that’s part of what makes any pursuit complicated.
If Philadelphia doesn’t land Fantilli, the search could widen. Other names being floated include Dylan Larkin of Detroit and Shane Wright, along with the possibility of shifting toward the trade market or internal development. The Flyers have the cap space and assets to stay active, and they’re clearly prioritizing young, high-upside talent.
That search isn’t limited to centers, either. Philadelphia has also been linked to defensemen such as Zach Werenski and John Carlson, along with other roster moves aimed at building around its young core, including Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster.
The Carlsson offer sheet was a clear attempt to speed up the timeline. With Anaheim matching, the Flyers didn’t get the player they wanted, but the message from Brière remains the same: this offseason is not slowing down. The team is expected to keep pushing in free agency, trades, and possibly more offer sheets, even if matching is likely on the biggest restricted free agents.
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Flyers Fans May Have Missed How Much Of The Roster Changed
Free agency has given the Flyers a very different look in a hurry, even before the dust fully settles. Philadelphia has already locked in Tyson Foerster with an extension and brought back Dan Vladar, while a wave of departures has thinned out the roster and sent several familiar names elsewhere around the league.
Noah Juulsen, Lane Pederson and Adam Ginning are among the players who have moved on, a reminder that this has been more than a routine summer tune-up. The Flyers also made one of the bolder moves of the offseason by putting an offer sheet in front of Anaheim center Leo Carlsson, leaving the next step in the hands of Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek and keeping Philadelphias roster picture very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Briere Faces A Franchise Shaping Matvei Michkov Decision
The Flyers are still sorting out what their roster is supposed to look like, and the uncertainty around Leo Carlsson is part of why so many other decisions remain in flux. In the middle of that, Matvei Michkov stands out as the one major restricted free agent looming next season, which makes him more than just another young piece to track. For Danny Briere, the question is not only how Michkov develops, but when the organization should commit to him and how much flexibility it wants to preserve while the cap picture stays tight.
One possibility being discussed is a midseason extension, a way to get a better read on Michkov before the usual contract window opens. If he takes a step forward, the Flyers could look at a standard bridge-style deal; if he stalls, the price and the structure could look very different. Either way, the club is trying to protect its young talent without boxing itself in, and Michkovs next stretch could end up shaping more than just his own future. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Still Have One Obvious Swing After Missing On Carlsson
The Flyers pursuit of a young center took a hit when Anaheim matched their offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, but the front offices broader search for a swing at the position does not appear to be over. Columbus center Adam Fantilli sits in the kind of gray area that keeps offer-sheet talk alive, and he is the sort of player Philadelphia has been willing to examine as it looks for a long-term answer down the middle.
Fantillis profile is still very much in formation, which is part of the appeal and part of the uncertainty. He is 21, has not reached the playoffs, has already played for three NHL head coaches and is still chasing his first 60-point season even after scoring 31 goals in 2024-25. The Flyers also have some familiar organizational ties to Columbus that could help with the homework, but the real question is whether this is the kind of target worth another aggressive move if the price lands in the range being discussed. [Read more 🡒]