On Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers made Leo Carlsson an offer sheet, and the Anaheim Ducks are not going to back out of it.
Five years. $90 million. In Orange County, the Flyers’ center, who is 21 years old, received the number, and it had the same effect as a punch in the stomach.
This season, Carlsson scored 67 points in 70 games, including 29 goals and 38 assists, with three game-winning goals and four power play goals.
Philadelphia’s attention was undoubtedly attracted by this kind of product, which immediately grabs a team’s notice.
Henry Samueli’s checkbook and Anaheim’s cap room were highlighted by insider Andy Strickland in a blunt manner on social media. According to him, pairing is a no-brainer.
Henry Samueli, the wealthiest owner in the NHL, and the Anaheim Ducks have salary cap room. It’s easy to match.
He’s not incorrect. Neither Pat Verbeek, who runs the front office, nor Joel Quenneville, who coaches the team, would construct a roster around a player like Carlsson only to give him to an opponent.
Why would you buy them? It appears that Philadelphia’s risk is doomed from the beginning.
Here, Daniel Briere and Rick Tocchet are aware of the figures. Offer sheets nearly never succeed when the original squad has money, which Anaheim has in plenty.
With 98 points and a three-game winning streak going into the final stretch, Philadelphia ended the season with a 43-27-12 record, good for 11th overall.
Anaheim concluded the regular season with a 43-33-6 record, 92 points, and a 17th-place overall ranking, which was mediocre by its own recent standards.
However, none of that affects how Carlsson is assessed. He is a key component, and crucial components are paired.
If Anaheim walks, they gut their own core to save cash. If they match, they eat a massive cap number on a kid who hasn’t hit his prime yet. Either way, somebody’s paying a steep price for this swing.
The bigger question now isn’t whether Anaheim matches. It’s what this does to Flyers-Ducks going forward, and whether Philadelphia just handed a division rival a grudge that outlasts one contract.
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