Ducks' Leo Carlsson Must Become An NHL Superstar Overnight
Leo Carlsson's record-high cap hit comes with sky-high expectations and increased pressure after the Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet.
Video Transcript
Mike, are you surprised that the Ducks decided to match the offer?
Do you think this is gonna complicate things for their cap space?
'Cause it's not like they didn't have a ton of cap space to work with already, but how do you think this is gonna complicate things for the future?
I'm not surprised that they matched because they really had no choice.
You have a 21-year-old center who's their number one, going forward.
You know, he's, I, I don't know if he You know, four first round picks in co- in terms of compensation.
All those first round picks probably would've been in the teens or 20s because Philadelphia would be a playoff team for all four of those years.
So, now the only, the only hurdle here was the Samuelellis having to come up with $39 million over the next 12 months.
But and it doesn't preclude the possibility that after a year when they can't trade him, that Leo Carlsson gets traded, but I don't think you'll ever get equal value, for a guy 'cause he's now the highest paid player in the NHL.
But really this is a big loss for Pat Verbeek because he played hardball with, with Carlsson like he tried, like he did with Mason McTavish last year.
That went to September.
I think he tried the same playbook.
It didn't work.
They had the offer sheet in their pocket, and they, they dropped that bomb on them, and now I don't think Verbeek, the way he operates, is gonna work any, any longer.
He's gotta play ball, and a lot of other GMs are gonna have to do the same thing.
