The Anaheim Ducks are facing one of the biggest decisions in franchise history after the Philadelphia Flyers offered restricted free agent Leo Carlsson a five-year, $90 million deal.
The contract, which carries an eye-popping $18 million average annual value, would make the 21-year-old center the highest-paid player in the NHL if the Ducks choose to match it. While the size of the deal has sparked debate across the league, one Ducks legend believes concerns about its impact inside the locker room are being overblown.
Anaheim Ducks Legend Makes Opinion Clear on Leo Carlsson’s $90M Contract
Anaheim has until July 10 to decide whether to match the Flyers’ offer sheet.
If the Ducks match, they keep the former No. 2 overall pick but commit to an $18 million cap hit for the next five seasons. If they decline, Carlsson heads to Philadelphia and Anaheim receives four first-round draft picks as compensation.
Former Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger doesn’t believe the contract will create any tension among Carlsson’s teammates. “I did see somebody talk about how this might affect the locker room and whatnot. I can kind of put a kibosh on all that right now,” Pronger said.
“Players talk in the locker room, players talk about contract negotiations, players talk about what’s going on… especially a young team like this that is on the rise.”
Pronger explained that today’s players understand the business side of hockey and regularly discuss contracts with one another. He added that Anaheim’s young core is close-knit and unlikely to resent Carlsson for signing such a lucrative offer sheet.
“Him going in and taking an offer sheet like this… I don’t think it will have any effect whatsoever, especially with the rising cap and what it can possibly do for his fellow teammates in giving them some raises,” Pronger pointed out.
His comments reflect a growing reality around the NHL. Rather than creating jealousy, massive contracts often help establish higher salary benchmarks that benefit other young stars during their own negotiations.
That could be especially important for Anaheim’s emerging core, including Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, and Pavel Mintyukov, who will be negotiating new contracts of their own pretty soon.
While speculation has centered on how Carlsson’s deal might affect team chemistry, Pronger believes the real challenge lies elsewhere.
The biggest decision rests with general manager Pat Verbeek and the Ducks’ front office. Matching the offer sheet keeps Carlsson but commits the team to a record-setting contract. Letting him go would bring back four first-round picks and give Anaheim another way to build for the future.
The latter path, however, would need a little lottery luck from the hockey gods. Players like Leo Carlsson don’t come around too often, and Philly’s first-round picks will likely land in the mid-to-late 30s, dampening their value.
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With the July 10 deadline approaching, the Ducks must decide which path is best for the franchise.
