Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet Saga Closes; Fallout & What’s Next For the Flyers
· Yahoo Sports
That was a fun week in the world of the Philadelphia Flyers, but it ended with the Anaheim Ducks matching the historic offer sheet for Leo Carlsson. So, after all of that, the Flyers remain without a 1C now and in the future.
For a while there, it seemed like the league was almost at a standstill. Teams were waiting to see what each would do. Whoever ended up with the $18 million a year cap hit of Carlsson’s deal, in this case it is the Ducks, will surely have to move some salary to make things work.
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Flyers and Ducks Salary Cap Fallout
Veterans like Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, and Chris Kreider could all see themselves on the way out of Anaheim to make room for the new highest-paid player annually in hockey. The Ducks also have one more key extension to sign with Cutter Gauthier. But based on Thursday’s decision, it seems as if the Ducks are confident that they’ll get something done.
If the Flyers had won their offer sheet, they would have been in a similar situation. Philly would have had more cap space available, but still not enough to resign Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Players would have needed to be traded in order to make that work out. Since Carlsson will not be a Flyer, they have just about $30 million in cap space. I would expect extensions for both Zegras and Drysdale to move rather quickly now that the Carlsson Saga is over.
The GM Relationship and Target on the Back
There is other fallout as well. Flyers GM Danny Briere will have to manage a way to repair what may be an irreparable relationship with Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. The Ducks are now stuck with the highest-paid player in the league, tight cap space, and a weak defensive core. That is the cost of Verbeek not losing his 21-year-old 1C.
Briere will now have to act swiftly with future RFAs. Matvei Michkov is up next year. Porter Martone the following. They were able to take the mindset of “we can handle this in the summer” with Zegras and Drysdale. That will not be the case anymore. The Flyers and Briere will have targets on their back following the bold move, showing his commitment to making the team better now, but sticking to his plan.
Read More: James: Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet Shows Briere is Committed to Making the Flyers Better
What’s Next for the Flyers?
No, I would not expect the Flyers to pivot and offer sheet Adam Fantilli or Connor Bedard. I would not expect anyone to give Fantilli anywhere near what Carlsson got, and I am almost certain the Blackhawks would match the max for Bedard the second the offer sheet is presented. It’s not worth burning more bridges.
I don’t really see the Flyers going back to teh RFA route after this past week. If anything, I wonder if they try and get into the mix for the offer sheet-ineligible Alexander Nikishin in Carolina, or even maybe join the Simon Edvinsson sweepstakes as an RFA in Detroit.
As for the unrestricted side, there are not many free agents that would upgrade the Flyers’ roster. I can see the team signing one or two more defensemen to come in and compete with Simon Benoit, Oliver Bonk, and David Jiricek as 6D/7D options, but I don’t envision any other top-4 signings.
Now that the Flyers have just under $30 million in cap space, I would expect that Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale extensions move rather quickly.
As for the rest of that cap space, don’t expect the Flyers to use it just to use it. Briere has shown patience and a willingness to rebuild this slowly but correctly. He’s not trying to make it to the playoffs and call it a day. He wants to build a perennial contender.
Rather than using the cap space and tradable assets just to use them, a much more Briere-type move would be to hold on and strike when the right player becomes available. Auston Matthews, while it seems like he’ll be in Toronto for at least the next year, could become available as a 2028 UFA. Someone in that same boat is Connor McDavid.
We’re still 355 days away, but Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes headline the 2027 free agent class. If they make it to the open market, you don’t want your cap to be tied up elsewhere.
So, overall, what I am saying is don’t expect a very loud offseason for the Flyers from here on out. They took a big swing and tried, but it did not work out. Now, they should remain patient, looking for the right pieces.
Read More: Ducks Match Offer Sheet for Leo Carlsson, Flyers Big Swing Falls Short
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