NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2026
What’s next for the Ducks and Flyers now that the Leo Carlsson offer sheet saga is over? Which players could become offer-sheet targets? What’s the latest on Canucks center Elias Pettersson? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE DUCKS AND FLYERS?
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens wondered if the Anaheim Ducks could build a Stanley Cup contender around an $18 million player.
On Thursday, the Ducks matched the five-year, $90 million offer sheet that Leo Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers last Friday. His $18 million AAV is the highest in NHL history, taking up 17.30 percent of the Ducks’ salary cap for this season.
“Now the Ducks will try to ice a winner with a top-heavy financial structure in the same vein that the Minnesota Wild will proceed with Kirill Kaprizov and his eight-year, $136 million ($17 million AAV) contract taking effect in the coming season,” Stephens wrote.
Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier (NHL Images).
The Ducks’ next task is signing restricted free-agent winger Cutter Gauthier, who tallied a team-leading 41 goals and 69 points last season. The 22-year-old Gauthier is ineligible to sign an offer sheet, but that probably won’t stop him from seeking an AAV over $10 million.
With just over $9 million in cap space, the Ducks will have to shed salary to create room for Gauthier’s new contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could take the Ducks most of the offseason to hammer out a new contract with Gauthier. They still hold leverage because of the winger’s lack of arbitration rights, but playing hardball probably isn’t a good idea after making Carlsson the highest-paid player in the league for this season.
Their cost-cutting trade candidates could include wingers Chris Kreider or Alex Killorn (15-team no-trade clauses). Frank Vatrano (seven-team NTC) is the more likely option, but his declining play and injury history could make him harder to move.
Another concern is their defense corps, which lost two experienced blueliners with the departures of Jacob Trouba and John Carlson. Apart from the 35-year-old Nick Jensen, the rest of their top-six rearguards are 25 and younger. They might’ve had sufficient room to add one or two veteran defensemen if not for the Carlsson offer sheet, but that’s out the window now.
THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz doesn’t expect Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere to target another player with an offer sheet after his effort to land Leo Carlsson was matched.
The Flyers’ glaring need for a first-line center remains. However, a Flyers team source indicated that the offer sheet for Carlsson was as much about circumstances as it was about the player. Their offer was well-planned, designed to put economic pressure on the Ducks to let Carlsson go.
Kurz expects the Flyers will likely turn to adding some depth players to support their promising youngsters. They must also re-sign winger Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who filed for salary arbitration on Sunday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks might suggest the Flyers pursue Dylan Larkin, but that’s not happening unless the Detroit Red Wings center is willing to expand his list of destinations to include Philadelphia. So far, he’s only added the Dallas Stars to his list, which also includes the Minnesota Wild (his prime destination), Vegas Golden Knights (who lack suitable tradeable assets) and the Florida Panthers (ditto, because they won’t part with Anton Lundell).
WHAT OTHER POTENTIAL OFFER SHEET TARGETS ARE AVAILABLE THIS SUMMER?
THE SCORE: Michael Bradburn listed the restricted free agents who are eligible to receive offer sheets this summer.
Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets headline the forwards. Bedard is sidelined for four months, recovering from shoulder surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets also have plenty of salary-cap space, meaning a club will have to overpay significantly to have any chance of successfully signing Bedard or Fantilli. Based on Kurz’s report, the Flyers aren’t looking at going the offer-sheet route again this summer.
Bradburn singled out Simon Edvinsson of the Detroit Red Wings and Arber Xhekaj of the Montreal Canadiens as the most intriguing options among the defensemen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forget about landing Edvinsson unless you’re willing to offer him well over $12 million annually. That’s the amount the Red Wings have reportedly set aside in case someone signs the 21-year-old blueliner. As for Xhekaj, a rival club could pursue him, but that might be more through a trade than an offer sheet.
THE LATEST ON ELIAS PETTERSSON
CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reports there’s been lots of trade talk about Elias Pettersson. However, the Vancouver Canucks have not asked the 27-year-old center to waive his no-movement clause.
“Lots of chatter but don’t believe anything is close,” Dhaliwal tweeted.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As always, Pettersson’s expensive contract and the decline in his play over the past two years remain significant sticking points that are difficult to surmount.
I am surprised the Flyers have not explored the trade route to upgrade their center position. Especially if they are willing to give up numerous first round picks.
Flyers may be victims of future offer sheets – they seem to come back around when the team is most vulnerable.
Toronto: why do you think the Flyers have not done so? GMs are in regular contact with each other and none of us know what is being discussed. Geoff Gorton commented every time he sees Kent Hughes, Hughes is on his cell phone.
Besides, half the league is looking for a center. Larkin would have had a new home within a week of asking for a trade were he more open to trade destinations.
What exactly is the Hughes/Gorton dynamic? Like how do the two of them work together and split duties or make decisions? I think it’s fascinating to know what they are doing and see if any apply to my Leafs and/or other teams. I’ve always been fascinated with team building and management and lucky to have so much “info” coming from the Toronto sports media regarding the Leafs that it’s nice to see or hear more about how others are doing it and how they value assets and their management of them.
Come with all the trade proposals you want but don’t include Philly or NYR in them because there is no way Pettersson accepts a trade there
Why wouldn’t Petterson accept a trade to NY or Philly?
With his favorite player JT? That not happening To get coach of Philly. Not happening either
Cause of Miller and Tocchet he wouldn’t play with or for either one
NY doesn’t want him
The Carlsson offer sheet and signing will impact all teams; if a non elite center (top 10 center in the league) is getting18% of the cap his first year what will an elite center like Celibrini be worth. GM’s have liked to doddle on getting their RFA’s signed I think they will need to get the top ones signed before FA.
David it’s still doable but much harder and you’ll need some luck to build a team. In five years that contract will still be big but much more acceptable and quite possibly a valve contract by then.
One way to look at it is, if that contract becomes 10-13% of the cap in its final year, his next contract dollar figure can still be around that percentage even though it could be $25M per year for example.
Unfortunately the Ducks don’t have all their ducks in a row right now but that to be expected since they are still quite early in their rebuild and have time to develop and build their team. So this big contract might make things harder and delay/extend timelines but they have the runway to do so.
Players will have to decide do they want to win or take the money. I have a feeling Celibrini knows this. I wouldn’t be shocked if he took a reasonable offer to make the sharks competitive. He has sent with Crosby and McDavid.
It will be interesting to see what Bedard is going to do considering he was #1 OA, his stat line is considerably better than Carlsson while playing on a vastly inferior team.
He could blow the roof off or lower everybody’s expectations.
Let us hope he is wise enough to see the straight line between his affect on the cap and the ability of his GM to build a contender.
McDavid was.