- Frank Vatrano says Leo Carlsson can take a “huge, huge step” for the Ducks this season
- Anaheim matched a five-year, $90 million Flyers offer sheet on Carlsson back on July 9
- Read below for what Vatrano and Sam Colangelo said about Carlsson at the Shoulder Check Showcase
Three weeks after the Anaheim Ducks matched Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet, Frank Vatrano is still grinning about it.
Vatrano was at the fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase at Sacred Heart University on Thursday, and he got asked what the new contract does for his 21-year-old center, per NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke.
“I think for him to come in this year completely healthy and experiencing that play in the playoffs at the highest level, it will only help him. Obviously, when you get that kind of contract, you’re going to be playing with confidence. You always play with confidence, but for him, it’s another step. He wants to be that guy. You can see he’s a great kid. Yeah, I could definitely see him taking a huge, huge step this season.”
The charity game itself has outgrown its old home, moving to a bigger rink with more than 20 NHL players on the roster:
He did more than talk once the puck dropped. Take a look at him opening the scoring on an early breakaway:
Philadelphia handed Carlsson a five-year, $90 million offer sheet on July 9 at an $18 million cap hit. Anaheim matched it the same day, and general manager Pat Verbeek called him the “cornerstone piece” of the franchise.
That number rippled across the league. Sharks GM Mike Grier said the Carlsson sheet changed how San Jose approached Macklin Celebrini’s extension.
Ducks forward Sam Colangelo was at the same event and talked about how Carlsson’s first two seasons got graded on a bad team.
“I think that if people watch our games closely, they know that Leo’s a 100-point player and there’s no doubt about that. And he’s also a different player. If you watch him play, he does it all. Plays a top-line matchup. He can defend, he wins face-offs, he creates.”
Carlsson put up 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 70 games last season, one back of Cutter Gauthier for the team lead. He added 11 points in 12 playoff games as Anaheim went 43-33-6, took third in the Pacific, and knocked off Edmonton in six before losing to Vegas in the second round.
Named to Sweden’s Olympic roster, Carlsson missed the tournament with an injury. Vatrano pointed to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off as the trip that flipped a switch, saying he noticed a completely different player when Carlsson came back.
Anaheim made the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last spring, and Vatrano knows the schedule gets harder now that teams have circled them.
“Just because we did it one year doesn’t mean you’re going to be back next year, so for us, it doesn’t get much easier. No, we’re going to have a target knowing that we’re a good team. So we’re going to get the best from every team every single night.”
