The Anaheim Ducks said they would match any offer sheet presented to any of their players. However, they have yet to match the offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, which was presented by the Philadelphia Flyers. That has NHL insider Elliotte Friedman calling out Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek.
On Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers presented Leo Carlsson with a five-year offer sheet worth an average annual salary of $18 million.
Leo Carlsson offer sheet
If Leo Carlsson signs the contract, he would become the highest-paid player on an annual basis in NHL history. Currently, that distinction belongs to the Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, whose contract carries an average annual value of $17 million. The Anaheim Ducks, led by general manager Pat Verbeek, have until July 10 to match the offer. Otherwise, Carlsson will become a Flyer, and the Ducks will receive four first-round draft picks as compensation.
Carlsson career stats
Leo Carlsson was drafted second overall by the Ducks in 2023. Through his first three NHL seasons, he has recorded 141 points in 201 games. This past season, he posted a career-high 67 points in 70 games. He also added 11 points in 12 playoff games as the Ducks advanced to the second round before eventually losing their series to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
Calls out Pat Verbeek
Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is calling out both the Ducks and general manager Pat Verbeek for not responding to the offer sheet, despite the organization’s earlier promise to match any offer. During his playing career, Verbeek was one of the toughest players in NHL history, racking up 2,905 penalty minutes, the 11th-most all-time. According to Friedman, Verbeek’s legacy in Anaheim could depend on how he responds to this situation.
“He warned everyone the Ducks would match any offer. That said, I have no doubt the number caught him completely by surprise. Maybe he calls other teams and sees what those four first-rounders can get him. But this is Pat Verbeek, one of the toughest players ever to put on an NHL uniform. Three-thousand penalty minutes; never saw him back away once. To say you’ll match any offer and then not do it puts a cataclysmic dent in his entire life philosophy,” Friedman wrote on Sportsnet.
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