Ducks retain Carlsson, match 5-year offer sheet — The Fourth Period
The Anaheim Ducks have matched a five-year, $90 million offer sheet centre Leo Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Carlsson’s new contract, worth an average annual value of $18 million, makes him the highest paid player, per AAV, in the NHL, as of today.
“Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said in a statement. “We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league, while continuing to make a strong impact in our community.”
Carlsson, 21, scored 29 goals and added 38 assists for 67 points in 70 games with Anaheim last season.
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” said Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. “We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He’s a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet.”
Selected second-overall by Anaheim in the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson has appeared in 201 career NHL regular-season games with the Ducks, accumulating 61 goals and 80 assists for 141 points.
