- Leo Carlsson says NHL players have been thanking him for the offer sheet that reset the pay scale
- His five-year, $90 million deal was followed by huge raises for Bedard, Celebrini and Makar
- Read below for Carlsson’s full comments and what the contract has already cost Anaheim
Leo Carlsson figures he earned an assist on half the contracts signed in the NHL this summer.
Anaheim’s 21-year-old center met with reporters Wednesday at the NHL and NHLPA player media tour and got asked what it has been like watching salaries climb since his offer sheet landed in July. His answer was short, and it was not humble.
“Players are thanking me,” Carlsson said, per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.
That is not a hard case to make. Philadelphia tendered Carlsson a five-year offer sheet worth $90 million on July 3, an $18 million cap hit that sat above every other contract in the league. Anaheim matched it on July 9 rather than hand the Flyers four first-round picks.
Everyone else got in line behind it. Connor Bedard signed for $15 million a season in Chicago, Macklin Celebrini went to $18.8 million in San Jose, and Cale Makar moved the ceiling again in Colorado at $20.4 million.
Guys with a fraction of that resume cashed in too. Vancouver gave Zeev Buium $9.38 million a year over eight seasons, and Boston handed Fraser Minten a seven-year deal at $7.2 million.
Carlsson has never finished a season at a point per game or drawn a Hart Trophy vote. He also put up 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games last year at age 21, and the market decided that was plenty.
The bill is coming due in Anaheim, though.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed Wednesday that veteran winger Chris Kreider sits on unconditional waivers so the Ducks can terminate the final year of his deal and recover the cap space Carlsson’s raise swallowed.
Losing a teammate over his own payday came up too.
“Chris, he’s leaving, but he’s also really happy for me, as well,” Carlsson told Lazerus. “It’s a hard business.”
Cutter Gauthier is still unsigned with camps opening September 16. Pierre LeBrun reported this week that Bedard’s $15 million cap hit has come up as a comparable in those talks, which tells you where the price on a 41-goal scorer starts now.
Pat Verbeek matched the offer sheet knowing what it would cost him. The rest of the league got the raises without the bill.
