The Anaheim Ducks have matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, but that's very unlikely to be the last bit of drama we see in the NHL this offseason, and Kent Hughes is likely chomping at the bit to get into the action.
Daniel Briere swung for the fences but was called out on a fly ball. Pat Verbeek caught it, matching the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, who became the league's highest-paid player. Now, though, will the Anaheim Ducks have to make moves they wouldn’t have made if they didn’t need to give Carlsson $18M a year? They have only $9M in cap space and still need to ink Cutter Gauthier to a new contract. And what about Philadelphia? They had planned to shower Carlsson with money; will they target someone else now?
There are a few big names out there that could still receive an offer sheet. The injured Connor Bedard would be a great target, even though he is now set to miss four months after shoulder surgery.
But there’s another interesting center that’s also eligible for an offer sheet: Adam Fantilli. The Columbus Blue Jackets pivot could be of interest to Briere and the Flyers, and if that were to happen, would Columbus have the means to match the offer sheet without trading away salary? As things stand, the Ohio outfit has $23.2 million in cap space, but they need to sign Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and Jet Greaves. If Briere were to target Fantilli with an offer as big as Carlsson’s, would Don Waddle suddenly have more interest in moving out some salary? Could the idea of trading for ELC players or prospects suddenly become more enticing? Kent Hughes is nothing if not persistent, and it has become very clear that the Montreal Canadiens GM would love to land Kirill Marchenko.
And then there are the Ducks; now that Carlsson takes up so much room on the salary cap, could they be looking for a way to unload a big contract? What if Kent Hughes were to call to enquire about, say, Chris Kreider’s availability? Yes, he has a 15-team no-trade clause, but he certainly plays with grit and physicality, which could help in the playoffs. The 35-year-old is about to enter the last year of his contract with a $6.5 million cap hit, and he put up 50 points in 75 games last season. Of course, the Habs have a bit of history with Kreider, but Carey Price isn’t there anymore, and Brendan Gallagher was the sole player remaining since that 2014 series. Who played with Kreider in New York in 2014? Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis.
The ball is truly in Briere’s court right now, and depending on whom or what he sets his sights on, there could be consequences throughout the league. At this stage, it feels like the whole league is looking to find out what else the Flyers have up their sleeve, and that certainly includes Hughes, who’s been trying to improve his side since the end of the season.
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