The Anaheim Ducks named Mikael Granlund the captain of the team, sparking debate over whether it was a purposeful message sent to Leo Carlsson for accepting the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet. But that's not Carlsson's fault; it's Ducks management's.
The Anaheim Ducks stunned much of the hockey world by handing the captaincy to 34-year-old Mikael Granlund rather than 21-year-old franchise centerpiece Leo Carlsson. The Ducks had just given Carlsson a franchise-tag-like extension - matching the offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers- and the assumption might have been that a 'C' on his jersey might have come with it.
Not so much. In fact, there is a theory out there that the Ducks did this intentionally.
Bryan Hayes brought forward the idea on TSN's OverDrive, suggesting this wasn't just a routine leadership call. This was a message to Carlsson, who essentially stuck the Ducks with a massive contract extension they weren’t prepared for. The fallout was a tighter cap situation, a big deal for Cutter Gauthier, and the loss of veteran Chris Kreider.
The theory is that Anaheim's front office was still stinging from how Carlsson's contract negotiations unfolded, including the offer sheet Philadelphia lobbed his way before Anaheim matched. Would Carlsson be wearing the 'C' right now if that offer sheet had never happened?
One strong case that was made on the show is that the real accountability belongs with GM Pat Verbeek, not Carlsson.
While Carlsson clearly thought about his own situation more than the team’s, that’s every player’s right. What Carlsson did was appreciated by many across the NHL. He set a new standard for deals, and players called to thank him.
Meanwhile, Verbeek should have seen this coming, and his stubbornness cost the franchise millions of dollars.
If Anaheim had locked up its 2023 second-overall pick to a market-appropriate extension before it got messy, there never would have been room for Philadelphia to make a run at him in the first place.
If the Ducks are punishing a young star, that’s a bad look. The front office should take the heat here, not the player. Verbeek never should have dug his heels in on a bargain deal, especially when reports said Carlsson was open to taking less.
Meanwhile, Granlund takes the brunt of this debate, because the hint here is that he’s not worthy of being a captain. Despite his captaining Finland at the 2026 Olympics, it’s coming across as though he’s the backup plan because he’s an out-of-the-box option.
In only his second season as a Duck, that might be true in some ways. Meanwhile, the Ducks may simply see a steady, respected voice in the room.
The reality is, this might be a transition captaincy choice. Carlsson looks every bit the part of a future captain, both in his play and in how he carries himself. Perhaps the Ducks simply wanted a year or two to make that switch.
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