Flyers sign Carlsson to monster offer sheet — The Fourth Period

The Philadelphia Flyers have taken a huge swing, signing restricted free agent centre Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet.

The Anaheim Ducks have seven days to match the offer or they can accept four first-round draft picks as compensation.

“The Philadelphia Flyers have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson,” Flyers GM Danny Briere said in a statement. “The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $18M, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation.”

The Ducks and Carlsson’s camp had been engaged in contract talks prior to the 21-year-old accepting Philadelphia’s offer, which consists mostly of signing bonuses.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was hovering around a $12M annual offer before the Flyers swooped in.

According to TFP’s David Pagnotta, the Flyers had been contemplating pitching Carlsson an offer since before the NHL Draft and first reached out to Carlsson’s camp on June 30 – the first day teams are allowed to speak with pending RFAs – to voice their interest.

Carlsson will become the highest paid player, per AAV, in NHL history regardless of the outcome – whether he joins the Flyers or returns to the Ducks.

A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Carlsson registered 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points in 70 regular-season games last season with the Ducks.

Drafted second-overall in 2023, Carlsson has accumulated 61 goals and 80 assists for 141 points in 201 career regula-season games with Anaheim.