The Leo Carlsson offer sheet saga ended last week when the Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer. However, both teams must now deal with the consequences of their actions.
The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlson last Thursday, ending a nearly week-long saga that dominated NHL headlines.
Carlsson's $18 million average annual value over the next five seasons is an NHL record, though it's unlikely to last once Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini sign their contract extensions.
Eric Stephens of The Athletic examined the difficulty the Ducks face in building a contender this season with an $18 million player on their roster. They still have 41-goal left winger Cutter Gauthier to re-sign with just over $9 million in salary cap space.
Stephens believes the Ducks must shed a contract or two to free up sufficient space to re-sign Gauthier and leave enough for cap flexibility this season. They can forestall that issue by placing sidelined left winger Troy Terry on long-term injury reserve to start the season, but they'll have to be cap-compliant when he returns to action by mid-season.
The Hockey News' Michael DeRosa suggested a veteran winger, such as Frank Vatrano or Alex Killorn, could become a cost-cutting trade candidate. Vatrano carries an average annual value of $4.571 million through 2027-28, while Killorn is entering the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $6.25 million.
Killorn might draw more interest because of his long playoff resume, but Vatrano could be the easiest to move. He has a seven-team no-trade list compared to Killorn's 15-team no-trade clause.
As for the Flyers, they're still without an established first-line center.
Some observers wondered what their alternate plan would be if the Ducks matched their offer. Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets was suggested as their "Plan B."
However, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic doubted Flyers GM Daniel Briere would attempt to use an offer sheet to land another center.
Citing team sources, Kurz indicated that the Carlsson offer sheet was as much about circumstances as it was about the player. He stated that the Flyers' offer was well-planned, designed to put so much economic pressure on the Ducks that they'd let Carlsson go.
Finding a suitable first-line center won't be easy in the trade market. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings requested a trade, but the Flyers aren't on his four-team trade list.
According to Kurz, the Flyers could opt to bolster the depth around their promising young players. They must also re-sign forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale before their arbitration hearings next week.
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