The Philadelphia Flyers have made a groundbreaking offer sheet to restricted free agent Leo Carlsson, a 21-year-old center for the Anaheim Ducks, proposing a five-year contract worth $90 million. This deal carries an average annual value of $18 million, marking a new NHL record and surpassing the $17 million AAV signed by Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild. Carlsson, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, has shown substantial development in his first three NHL seasons, most recently scoring 67 points in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Anaheim Ducks face a critical deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday to decide whether to match the Flyers’ offer or let Carlsson go to Philadelphia. Matching the deal would retain Carlsson but allocate over 17% of their $104 million salary cap to him, with a significant portion of the contract front-loaded into signing bonuses, including nearly $20 million for the upcoming season. Alternatively, the Ducks can decline and receive four first-round draft picks from the Flyers as compensation over the next four years.

The offer sheet is notable not only due to its record size but because Carlsson is still an emerging talent rather than an established superstar. While the Ducks have yet to make the playoffs in most of Carlsson’s NHL tenure, his rising performance has attracted considerable attention. In comparison, Kaprizov’s record-breaking contract came after five years in the league and several 40-goal seasons, highlighting the aggressive nature of the Flyers' bid.

Carlsson’s offer is likely to have a ripple effect throughout the NHL, impacting the market value of other rising stars such as Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. Both players are either currently restricted free agents or approaching restricted free agency, meaning the Carlsson deal is setting a new benchmark that could drive up salaries across the league for young phenoms entering their prime.