Leo Carlsson is returning to the Anaheim Ducks, and according to ownership, it was a foregone conclusion.
Carlsson is now officially the highest-paid player in the NHL after the Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers‘ aggressive offer sheet. The 21-year-old Swedish center is now signed to a five-year, $90 million contract worth an average of $18 million per season. The deal is heavily front-loaded, with Carlsson set to earn $39 million over the next 12 months.
“Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as (general manager) Pat (Verbeek) 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.”
The “intelligent” comment comes as Verbeek could have inked Carlsson multiple times for less money, per reports, but instead was a hard negotiator. Last summer, Carlsson revealed that he would have been willing to sign an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per season.
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that, when negotiating Carlsson’s new contract this summer, the Ducks offered between $12 and $13 million, while Leo’s side countered with $15 million. After the Ducks passed, Carlsson signed the massive offer sheet with the Flyers as Verbeek didn’t see a deal like that coming.
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” Verbeek said in a statement. “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.”
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound forward is coming off a career season, recording 67 points (29g, 38a) in 70 games. He added 11 points (4g, 7a) in 12 playoff games. Per Anaheim, Carlsson’s 29 goals were the second-most by a Ducks player 21 or younger, while he became one of three Ducks skaters all-time to post multiple 20-goal seasons before age 22.
“I always wanted to be here,” Carlsson said. “I really wanted them to match. I always, always wanted to be a Duck. It’s my home. I just wanted to be here a long time. I’m just super excited to be back.”
Carlsson’s deal from the Flyers will pay him more than names like Leon Draisaitl ($14 million), Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million), and Connor McDavid ($12.5 million).
Highest AAVs in the NHL
| Rank | Player | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Leo Carlsson | $18M |
| 2. | Kirill Kaprizov | $17M |
| 3. | Leon Draisaitl | $14M |
| 4. | Jack Eichel | $13.5M |
| 5. | Auston Matthews | $13.25M |
| 6. | Nathan MacKinnon | $12.6M |
| 7. | Connor McDavid | $12.5M |
| 8t | Kyle Connor | $12M |
| Mitch Marner | $12M | |
| Mikko Rantanen | $12M |
Anaheim now has $9.073 million remaining under the salary cap with 22 active players (12F/7D/3G) on the roster and Troy Terry on injured reserve. They only have restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier left to re-sign, who is not offer-sheet eligible.
