Yesterday, we discussed how the Ducks' free agency has been underwhelming and were perplexed as to why key RFAs still remained unsigned. Not even 24 hours later, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was presented with a doomsday scenario, as the Philadelphia Flyers have tendered an offer sheet to Leo Carlsson. Five years with an average annual value of 18 million per season. If the Ducks do not match, they receive four first round picks instead. Carlsson and the team should have never been put in this situation to begin with however, and Verbeek is now paying the price for being "tough" in negotiations.
Notorious for being difficult
This latest development is nothing new for Ducks fans, as we've seen similar scenarios play out over Verbeek's tenure as GM. In the summer of 2023, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale were RFAs and eligible for extensions. Zegras was coming off his third season in which he notched 65 points (23 goals, 42 assists) in 81 games. Zegras had a knack for making highlight reel plays that would drive John Tortorella mad but ingratiated enough of the wider hockey audience to land Zegras on the cover of EA Sports NHL 23. Drysdale was negotiating from a weakened position, as he had only appeared in 8 games in 2022-23, but was projected to be the puck moving, offensive blue line threat the Ducks desperately lacked. Without any arbitration rights though, both Zegras and Drysdale flailed in the wind all summer and into training camp without new contracts. And when Verbeek finally relented, both future pillars of the Ducks franchise underperformed in subsequent seasons under another "tough" guy in the form of Greg Cronin, before finally being traded to the Flyers in separate deals.
Mason McTavish was also given the same treatment last summer as an RFA, as his contract negotiations dragged throughout the entire summer and into the preseason. While McTavish started the 2025-26 season on a high note offensively, he slowly regressed into a shell of his former self and was ultimately traded to the St. Louis Blues on draft night.
All bark, no bite
Verbeek made a point to note how he would match any offer on Carlsson from an opposing team. Before the Flyers' offer sheet, the Ducks had around 35 million in cap space, more than enough ample room to sign both Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier plus any other trade additions. But with the shoe on the other foot, Verbeek has decided to go silent on the matter.
Ducks will not make a decision on matching today and there won't be a comment from their side until the process has concluded. https://t.co/zVqo9UgBJE
— Eric Stephens (@IcemanAthletic) July 3, 2026
The punches keep coming
According to PuckPedia, the Ducks could be targeted with another offer sheet for the left-handed defenseman Pavel Mintyukov.
Several teams have approached Mintyukov’s agent @HockeyAgent1 about an offer sheet, and it seems likely at least one is formally offered today.
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 3, 2026
Mintyukov would then still need to decide if he wants to sign it.
Even though Mintyukov requested a trade early last season, he found his footing under Ducks Head Coach Joel Quenneville and became a staple in the top four defense group. Mintyukov registered 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) in 73 regular season games, while averaging 18:26 of ice time and is one of the few proven in-house options to remain on the Ducks refabricated blue line.
Drop the act and handle business
It's tired and old at this point; Zegras, Drysdale, and McTavish deserved better and the Ducks ultimately lost out on home grown talent. Carlsson and Gauthier are those future pillars of the franchise right now and deserve to compensated as such. Is Leo Carlsson worth 18 million per season right now? No. He's probably worth 10-12 million, as Kevin Weekes suggested.
👀Per my conversations earlier in the week with sources, the @AnaheimDucks were hoping to be between 10M-12M AAV for Carlsson & Gauthier, knowing Sennecke will be next in line, the @NHLFlyers have now come off the top rope. This also impacts Bedard & Celebrini. #HockeyX
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 3, 2026
Will Carlsson be worth 18 million in the future? Yes. Number one centers do not grow on trees and the Ducks were bad for years, before they were able to position themselves to draft a talent of Carlsson's caliber. Even if the Ducks opted for the draft picks from the Flyers, there's no guarantee the Ducks would be able to draft another center like Carlsson. From a franchise value perspective, 18 million is a pittance compared to the revenue Carlsson would bring in from the fan base via ticket sales and merchandise, as the team ascends with his growth.
The same thought process can be applied to Gauthier too, as 40+ goal scorers do not drop in your lap often. Even if the price might be too high for Verbeek's liking, he targeted and traded for Gauthier, a player that is integral to the success of the Ducks and the strong-arm act will do more harm than good.
Eat the punch Verbeek and sign Carlsson. While you're at it, sign Gauthier too and move on to building the Ducks into a perennial contender, instead of playing mind games. You wasted months to do nothing; it's beyond time to do the right and sensible thing, for once.
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