Leo Carlsson’s whirlwind week has finally ended, and it ended exactly the way he hoped it would. The 21-year-old center found himself in a rare and dramatic situation: he had signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, yet all along he wanted to stay put in Anaheim. On July 9, 2026, the Ducks made that possible, matching the five-year, $90 million offer sheet Carlsson had signed with Philadelphia the previous Friday.
Carlsson had a contract offer from the Philadelphia Flyers he couldn’t turn down, but he also wanted to remain with the Anaheim Ducks, and he got exactly that outcome when the Ducks matched the deal, worth an average annual value of $18 million. For a young player who has spent his entire NHL career in Anaheim, staying home mattered as much as the record-setting paycheck.
“I always wanted to be a Duck,” Carlsson said. “It’s home too. So just super excited to be back.”
A Contract Too Big to Ignore
Even though his heart was in Anaheim, Carlsson acknowledged the Flyers’ offer was simply too significant to walk away from without giving the Ducks a chance to match. The contract made him the highest-paid player in the NHL by yearly salary, and he described it as an offer nearly any player would have signed, one that would change his family’s life. Still, his preference never wavered.
“But I always wanted to be here too. I just really hoped they would match,” Carlsson explained.
The waiting period, however, was far from easy. Carlsson called it probably the strangest week of his life as he sat and waited to find out where his career would head next. Speaking from his home in Sweden, he described trying to stay busy and keep his mind off the situation. He said he tried not to dwell on it too much, instead working out, playing golf, and spending time with friends while the decision played out.
Teammates and Family Relieved
Throughout the process, Carlsson leaned on the support of his Ducks teammates, and the response he got was unanimous. He said every teammate he spoke with was thrilled for him and told him he deserved the contract, while hoping he would remain in Anaheim. When the news finally became official, the relief was immediate — for Carlsson and for his family back home.
“I’m super relieved,” Carlsson said. “My mom is relieved too. Obviously she’s been stressing for a while now this week too, so it’s super nice to get it done. Super happy.”
Verbeek Details the Front Office’s Decision
For Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, matching the offer capped months of quiet negotiation. He noted that discussions with Carlsson’s camp had actually begun back in September 2025 and carried on through the end of last season, and once Carlsson reached restricted free agency on July 1, Verbeek sensed an offer sheet was likely coming. Even so, the size of Philadelphia’s proposal caught the front office off guard.
“We were prepared to accept offer sheets with all the cap space that we had,” Verbeek said. “Did we expect the offer sheet to be this high? No, we did not see that one coming.”
Matching wasn’t a snap decision. Verbeek explained that the organization went through extensive internal discussions involving ownership and his closest advisors, weighing the fact that Philadelphia’s compensation package included four first-round draft picks before ultimately concluding that matching was the right call.
Why Anaheim Views Carlsson as a Cornerstone
Selected by Anaheim with the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson has become the centerpiece of a Ducks roster that reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the first time since 2018. His production backs up that status: he finished second on the team in the regular season with 67 points, including 29 goals and 38 assists across 70 games, and was tied for second in the playoffs with 11 points in 12 games.
As Anaheim’s top-line center, Carlsson blends playmaking, speed, and a growing two-way game that has earned the trust of coach Joel Quenneville against opposing top lines. Verbeek said the front office has viewed Carlsson as a foundational piece of the team’s rebuild since the day he was drafted, and that assessment has not changed. He added that while he doesn’t expect it to happen immediately, he believes Carlsson will show his elite ability over the life of this contract, validating the decision to match.
Growth Still Ahead
Carlsson himself isn’t shying away from the expectations that come with his new price tag. He acknowledged there are consistency issues in his game that still need work, and Verbeek noted the team would like to see him add strength to his 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame. Rather than treat the deal as added pressure, Carlsson frames it as part of a career-long process.
“I’ve had this pressure since the draft as well,” Carlsson said. “I’m still going to be the same person… I’m going to grow as a player too. I’ve done that every year so far. Trying to get away from these slumps that I’m having in seasons, trying to stay at the highest level I can be all year round. It’s going to be hard, but that’s my goal too.”
Looking Ahead
With the contract saga behind him, Carlsson now shifts his focus back to hockey, entering the 2026-27 season locked in as Anaheim’s franchise center for the long term. The Ducks, coming off their first playoff appearance in seven years, will lean heavily on his growth to push further in the postseason. For a fan base that watched a tense week unfold in real time, the resolution offers clarity: Carlsson is staying, and both player and organization appear fully committed to building toward a deeper playoff run together.