Leo Carlsson: The contract confused the NHL

“Desperate. Futile. Creative. Daring. Brash.”

These words were used The Athletic.

“Philadelphia chose violence,” wrote SB Nation.

“Philadelphia plunged the NHL into chaos,” it was said in the New York Post.

The Flyers made the Anaheim Ducks For Leo Carlsson a contract offer that the 21-year-old Swede accepted.

The contract is for five years and the annual earnings are 18 million dollars. Carlsson is a so-called restricted free agent, so Anaheim can keep him if they offer the same amount in seven days.

If Anaheim doesn’t keep Carlsson, the Flyers will have to surrender first-round picks for the next four years to California.

In any case, the Swedish star will become the highest paid player in the NHL.

Philadelphian GM:n Daniel Brièren the act is considered in the NHL’s unwritten rules faux pas’naas a label error. Making an offer sheet to another team’s restricted free agent is considered a dirty game – road robbery.

Never before has an offer sheet been seen in the NHL that would include such a large seasonal salary.

In the background it could also be printed that Cutter Gauthier dramatically moved from the Flyers to Anaheim in January 2024 after Gauthier refused all involvement with Philadelphia. The Flyers were pressured into making the trade on weak terms.

Aftonbladet seen-it-all NHL correspondent Per Bjurman considered Carlsson’s contract a “shock”.

He got the information while recording a podcast Jonathan Ekeliwin with. Bjurman shouted into Ekeliwi’s ear. Ekeliw couldn’t breathe properly for minutes.

Bjurman gave the Anaheim GM a verbal slap Pat Verbeekille.

“Verbeek can wear the donkey hat for the rest of the summer. He had all winter to make a more moderate extension for his most important player. However, he delayed the process. Now even the ashes will be taken from him,” Bjurman wrote.

Carlsson has played in the NHL for three seasons and became Anaheim’s number one center. He scored 29 goals and gave 38 assists in 70 regular season games in the season that ended.

The most likely option is that the Ducks will match Philadelphia’s deal and keep their talisman.

It’s going to be really expensive.