The Anaheim Ducks didn’t just make a move this offseason - they made the kind of move that changes the whole conversation around a franchise. By matching the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, Anaheim kept its young center and accepted a deal that comes with a record-setting $18 million AAV, the highest in NHL history.
The Ducks called it an easy decision in a statement, and they also credited GM Pat Verbeek for leaving enough cap space to make it happen. That matters, because this wasn’t a case of scrambling to save a player at the last second. Anaheim clearly sees the 21-year-old as a cornerstone, and after a 67-point season, Carlsson has already put himself in the No. 1 center conversation.
The cost, of course, is massive. Matching the offer sheet means Anaheim avoids losing Carlsson for four first-round picks, but it also pushes the spotlight onto the rest of the Ducks’ restricted free agents.
Pavel Mintyukov is already signed, while names like Cutter Gauthier still need new deals. That leaves Anaheim with a delicate balancing act over the next couple of months as it tries to keep the books under control.
Elsewhere on the trade front, Dylan Larkin’s situation has shifted only a little. The Detroit Red Wings captain has expanded his trade list to include Dallas, joining Florida, Minnesota, and Vegas. Even with that addition, the sense around the league is that the process still won’t move quickly.
Detroit’s early ask reportedly centered on Wyatt Johnston, and Dallas shut that down fast. That’s not a surprise.
Johnston’s age, production, and team-friendly contract make him the kind of player a team does not casually move. Adding the Stars to Larkin’s list gives the Red Wings one more possible path, but the market still looks tight.
A three-team deal may end up being the cleanest route, especially with the teams on Larkin’s list dealing with cap issues or roster limits.
One of the offseason’s most striking stories had nothing to do with a rink. Devils captain Nico Hischier helped rescue a family on the Aare River in Switzerland after their inflatable boat got stuck near a dam. The group included two children.
Hischier was nearby when it happened and helped first responders and other bystanders bring the family safely to shore. Authorities said everyone was rescued without injury. Hischier brushed off the praise afterward, saying, “In this situation, everyone is grateful for support, and we were all relieved that no one was harmed in the end,”
And then there’s Pittsburgh, where the Elias Pettersson chatter refuses to die. The Penguins have reportedly put their focus back on trying to land the Canucks forward, with Tyler Kennedy, as cited by Andrew Fillipponi, saying GM Kyle Dubas may be taking another run at it after a previous trade attempt to Pittsburgh was shut down.
Elliotte Friedman added that Pettersson could still benefit from skating with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. There’s also some intrigue around the idea of a reunion with Andrei Kuzmenko, which has apparently caught attention behind the scenes.
The sticking point remains Vancouver’s ask. The Canucks are reportedly seeking Ben Kindel, and that looks like a non-starter for Dubas. Kindel had 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games last season, and that price tag may be enough to keep the talks from getting anywhere fast.
In Other News...
Penguins Reunion Could Be Back In Play On The Blue Line
The Penguins have spent the offseason reshaping the roster, adding pieces while also watching a few defensemen depart through trades and free agency. That turnover has left the blue line with a little less certainty than the front office would like, and it has reopened the door to familiar names as Pittsburgh looks for ways to round out the back end.
One of those names is a former Penguins defenseman who just finished a career-best season in Pittsburgh before reaching unrestricted free agency. He would fit as a short-term depth addition, the kind of veteran who could push for a bottom-pairing job while also giving the club a steadier left-shot option as it sorts through the rest of its defense plans. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Blue Line Still Has One Problem Dubas Must Solve
The Penguins spent the offseason reshaping the blue line, and on paper the incoming group looks capable of handling the defensive side of the job. The deeper issue is balance, especially on the left, where the roster picture still feels unfinished even after the departures and additions that changed the look of the unit.
For now, Pittsburgh appears to have only one established NHL left-shot defenseman to lean on, which leaves Kyle Dubas with a real lineup puzzle before camp opens. There are internal candidates who could be asked to help, and there is always the possibility of a trade or a longer-term swing to fix it, but the current setup still leaves the defense looking less complete, and less balanced, than it did when last season ended. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Face A Defining Offseason Choice They Can't Delay
The Penguins are heading into the offseason with a roster puzzle that looks straightforward in a few places and murky everywhere else. Their top six up front appears mostly settled, but there is still real uncertainty about where Justin Brazeau fits and whether one of the current forwards gets nudged out to make room. Behind that, the organization has to decide how aggressively it wants to push younger options into the mix, with Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and Hendrix Lapierre all sitting in that uneasy space between future piece and roster squeeze.
On defense, the questions are just as pointed, especially when it comes to how much the coaching staff can lean on certain pairings and whether the group is actually built to handle the heavier minutes it will be asked to absorb. The bigger issue may be philosophical as much as tactical: for all the talk about getting younger under Dan Muse, the lineup still carries a lot of age and a thin margin for error in the areas that usually decide close games. The Penguins can talk about depth and competition, but until they sort out the forward logjam and the back end, the roster still feels like one that needs answers more than optimism. [Read more 🡒]