The NHL’s offseason has become as much about public battles as contract negotiations, with offer sheets reshaping conversations across the league. As executives race to protect young talent, every rumor carries important weight and can immediately become a headline.
This was exactly the case when a report involving an Anaheim Ducks star’s representative triggered an immediate response online.
Dan Milstein Mocks Frank Seravalli After Pavel Mintyukov Report
The player at the heart of the dispute is Pavel Mintyukov, whose contract negotiations became a major talking point after the Philadelphia Flyers stunned the league by presenting Leo Carlsson with a record-breaking offer sheet.
Speaking on Canucks Central, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Mintyukov’s representative, Dan Milstein, had begun exploring the possibility of generating similar pressure on Anaheim.
Seravalli said, “After that Leo Carlsson offer sheet came down, [Mintyukov’s] agent Dan Milstein was literally calling teams to ask them if they would be willing to put together an offer sheet.”
The report immediately drew a sharp response from Milstein, who dismissed the claim with heavy sarcasm.
“Busted wide open. Turns out my day job is calling GMs and begging for offer sheets on my own guy, then hiding it so well that apparently nobody noticed except some insider,” Milstein posted on X. He closed the message by adding, “Appreciate the investigative work, really. Pulitzer season is coming.”
Seravalli stood by his reporting and responded publicly, saying he was “merely reporting a fact,” while also taking a swipe at Milstein by referencing the agent’s self-published book.
Although the online dispute grabbed attention, Anaheim’s front office had already shifted into damage-control mode. With the Carlsson offer sheet reshaping the offseason, the Ducks moved swiftly to eliminate any uncertainty surrounding Mintyukov’s future before another team could test the market.
The organization ultimately signed the 22-year-old defenseman to a 5-year, $36 million extension carrying a $7.2 million average annual value.
The extension keeps one of the Ducks’ most promising young defensemen under contract through the 2030-31 season. Since being selected 10th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, Mintyukov has developed into a dependable top-four blueliner with strong skating ability, reliable puck movement, and increasing offensive production.
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Still, the agreement creates another challenge for general manager Pat Verbeek. If Anaheim also matches Carlsson’s $18 million annual cap hit, the team’s remaining cap flexibility shrinks considerably.
This scenario would complicate negotiations with breakout forward Cutter Gauthier, who is expected to command a substantial raise after his breakout 41-goal campaign.
