Flyers land offer sheet for Ducks center Leo Carlsson, forcing Anaheim to choose in seven days

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet, the team announced, immediately changing the offseason math for both clubs. The contract would carry an $18 million annual average value, which would become the highest mark in NHL history, surpassing Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov’s current salary benchmark, per CBS Sports and the Orange County Register.

Offer sheets in restricted free agent negotiations are designed to test a team’s willingness and cap flexibility, and they create a clear deadline. According to reported details, Anaheim has seven days to decide whether to match Philadelphia’s offer and keep Carlsson, or allow him to sign with the Flyers. If the Ducks choose not to match, Philadelphia would receive four first-round draft picks as compensation, a high price that reflects how central Carlsson has become to Anaheim’s rebuild timeline.

Carlsson’s status as an emerging franchise center is a key reason Philadelphia is willing to go this route. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and, in 201 career NHL games at the time of the reports, has totaled 61 goals and 80 assists. Last season, as described by CBS Sports, he came within one step of a point-per-game pace, producing 67 points in 70 games and showing strong two-way capability, including a 53.4% five-on-five expected goals share as tracked by Natural Stat Trick.

The Flyers’ move also fits a broader positional need inside the roster-building conversation. Philadelphia has emphasized forward development and recent center play, highlighted by the impact of Trevor Zegras after his arrival from Anaheim last offseason. Still, the offer sheet points to a different kind of target: a true top-line No. 1-caliber center option rather than continuing to build around complementary skill sets. By using an offer sheet rather than waiting for the open market, Philadelphia is effectively trying to shorten the timeline for that top-of-line solution.

For Anaheim, the decision is as much about long-term structure as it is about one player’s production. The Ducks can match and reset their budget around an $18 million annual commitment, or they can decline and re-enter the draft with four first-round selections. The Orange County Register also described how the Ducks have historically been willing to handle restricted free agent turbulence rather than being overly cautious about protracted negotiations.

From here, the most immediate thing to watch is whether Anaheim chooses to match Philadelphia’s offer before the seven-day window closes. If the Ducks match, the Flyers’ effort becomes a statement of confidence rather than a draft grab, and Carlsson’s role with Philadelphia becomes the central story of the next season. If Anaheim declines, Philadelphia’s offseason takes on a draft-driven shape, and the Ducks’ center position would shift toward whoever can absorb Carlsson’s responsibilities in their lineup.

In either scenario, the deal underscores how rare it is for the NHL’s pay ceiling to rise via restricted free agent mechanics instead of standard extensions. An $18 million annual average would set a new ceiling for the league, turning what could have been a quiet July negotiation into a defining offseason inflection point for both franchises.

Whether Carlsson ends up in Philadelphia or stays in Anaheim, the next few days are likely to determine not only his team, but also the downstream roster and cap strategy each organization uses to chase its playoff window.