Daniel Briere swung for the fences. The Philadelphia Flyers general manager tossed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet at Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, daring the Ducks to match it. They did. Now the Flyers are stuck with the same roster and a very clear message sent around the league: Briere is willing to play hardball, but he just lost the hand.
The contract would have made Carlsson the highest-paid player in NHL history with an $18 million cap hit, topping the $17 million Kirill Kaprizov will get from Minnesota next season. Instead, Anaheim matched, and Carlsson stays in California for five more years. Briere knew this could happen. He said as much in a statement through the team’s X account.
“We understood this outcome was possible when we made the offer,” Briere said. “While the result isn’t what we hoped for, our goal does not change, we remain committed to pursuing every opportunity that will strengthen our team and continue to build towards becoming a consistent and perennial contender without sacrificing our future.”
That future now depends on what the Flyers do next. And frankly, chasing another restricted free agent like Connor Bedard or Adam Fantilli would be foolish. The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets would match any offer sheet for their young stars, just like Anaheim did. The Flyers need to focus on their own problems first.
A Couple of RFAs Who Need New Deals
Philadelphia has two restricted free agents who matter a lot right now: defenseman Jamie Drysdale and forward Trevor Zegras. Both came over from Anaheim in separate trades. Both filed for salary arbitration. And both have become important pieces for the Flyers.
Zegras just put up career highs with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games, finishing second on the team in scoring. He’s coming off a three-year deal that paid him $5.75 million per season. Drysdale turned into a reliable top-four defenseman logging over 21 minutes a night, with eight goals and 32 points across 78 games. His last cap hit was $2.3 million. Both are due raises.
If arbitration goes through, the Flyers can accept the ruling or walk away. That would make both players unrestricted free agents, free to sign anywhere. Losing either one would hurt. Losing both would be a mess.
Briere should get these deals done before an arbitrator decides their fate. The Flyers can’t afford to lose two key players while trying to build something that works. The Carlsson move was a gamble. This one is just common sense.
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